The Congleton Town Trust is very much part of the history of the town - indeed donations to the town made 400 years ago are now administered by the present Trustees of the Town Trust.

Initially income of the Trust came from various sources following gifts to the town for various charitable purposes from benefactors - some quite small amounts and others more substantial.

Of local interest is the gift of two properties in the High Street under the will of Dr William Dean in 1686. These premises have always been retained by the Trustees and are now occupied by Davenports gents outfitters and the adjacent property as tenants of the Trust.

The Charity Commissioners scheme of 1884. listed out many of the names of various donors whose donations some going back to the 17th century were to be collectively described as “the Congleton municipal charities”.

There are several other sources of information where reference is made to donors of various gifts to the town. The list of donors referred to in the scheme of 1884 are repeated and others added some before and others after the date of the scheme.

The charity boards in the Town Hall provide much useful information, another list of donors (again many repeated from previous sources) are mentioned in Robert Head’s Congleton Past & Present. Reference to some of the charities now administered by the present Trustees are to be found in the 1821 History of Congleton by Samuel Yates and more recently the History of Congleton edited by W.B. Stevens in 1968. A further list of some interest is contained in the Town Council’s order book 1795-1833 which is in the custody of the Congleton museum.

In 1995 it was decided to seek a new scheme from the Charity Commissioners whereby the charities which had been administered locally would have new regulations, and for the first time would be referred to as “The Congleton Town Trust”. This document now the only document to which the present Trustees need to refer since it includes all information regarding the appointment of trustees, instructions regarding the management of its assets and also the application of its income.