STAR LETTER
Charity Begins At Home
In January 2020 you published Gail Dixon’s ‘Family Hero’ article about Richard III being buried in the garden of my 12x great grandfather, Robert Herrick. Since then, I have been following Robert’s line further back. His great grandfather was Thomas Bond, a wealthy draper in Coventry and mayor of the city in 1497/1498. When Thomas died in 1506, he left some of his money for the building of an almshouse. Today it is called Bond’s Hospital, and in Thomas’ own words, it “was to last for so long as the world shall endure”. More than 500 years later, the almshouse and the charity running it are still going strong.
I contacted Bond’s Hospital, and when the CEO learnt that I am a direct descendant of their founder, he asked me to visit, which I recently did with my dad. It was an extremely emotional – but wonderful – day. The trustees and staff were so welcoming. Apparently, the last known family connection to Bond’s Hospital was in the mid-1500s through Thomas Bond’s grandson, Thomas Bond junior (my 14x great grandfather). It is mind-boggling that my dad and I were the first descendants of the Bond family to visit in about 450 years!
I told them about my family connection to the Bond family and to Robert Herrick. They had no idea about their founder’s connection to Robert and Richard III’s grave. It created a lot of excitement.
They gave me a grand tour of the hospital, starting with the original building. As I looked around, I thought, “My ancestors walked these very same corridors.” They took me to the boardroom that was built in the Victorian era, and I came face to face with a portrait of Thomas Bond!
In the old building, they showed me one of the original apartments, which is currently being refurbished, in addition to one of the modern apartments. It was great to see how Bond’s Hospital and the charity running it have changed over time and expanded to help more people.
Over lunch, they surprised me with some wonderful gifts including a framed copy of Thomas’ portrait (pictured above).
Later I met some of the residents, who told me how happy they are there, with the security and friendship it gives them; they are one big, happy family.
It was a real honour and privilege to be invited to Bond’s Hospital, and I thanked them profusely for all their hard work. It’s amazing to think that Thomas Bond’s legacy from over 500 years ago has helped countless generations of people over the centuries
