The Hulme Trust dates back to the will of William Hulme, a member of a prosperous Manchester family who died 26 October 1691. By his will he left certain fields and meadows in trust to maintain a number of students from Manchester as bachelors of arts at Brasenose College, Oxford. As the prosperity of Manchester increased the land held by the Trust increased in value, and from the early 19th century the trustees secured parliamentary permission to spend their money on other purposes. They were allowed to apply surpluss income to the purchase of advowsons of livings, and as a result became the patrons of nearly 30 livings, mainly in Lancashire, as well as the owners of numerous parsonages and other ecclesiastical properties. Towards the end of the 19th century the trustees established the Hulme Grammar School in Manchester and similar institutions at Bury and Oldham, established scholarships at Owens College, and assisted Manchester Grammar School and the Girls Grammar School.
The Trust owned valuable building land in several of the business centres of Manchester, Shudehill, Withy Grove and Fennel Street, as well as Albert Square, John Dalton Street and Brazenose Street. In addition they held land in Ashton Under Lyne, Denton, Heaton Norris, Reddish and Harwood near Bolton.
See Henry D. Rack, ‘Hulme, William (bap. 1631, d. 1691)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford University Press, 2004).
From the guide to the The Hulme Trust Deeds, 1280-1700, (Chetham's Library)
