In 1845 eight cottages in Sawrey Place, Little Horton, near Bradford, were built by Mary Rathmell, of Melbourne Place. These she conveyed in 1849 to six trustees, as dwellings for poor women over 55 years of age. The cottages became known as the Melbourne Almshouses. The trustees were to report to Bradford Preparative Meeting and residents were required to observe strict rules of conduct. The original trustees appointed by Mary Rathmell were Benjamin Ecroyd, David Harris Smith, John Wilson, John Thistlethwaite, George Bottomley and Joseph Ellis. After her death on 3 February 1857, the almshouses were endowed with a legacy of 1,500 under her will, to provide a fund for maintaining the properties. This was invested in the Great Western Railway.
From the guide to the Records of Melbourne Almshouses (Bradford) of the Society of Friends, 1857-1980, (Leeds University Library)
