John Betjeman, said of The Blue House that it ‘is situated where an almshouse ought to be – in the centre of town.’ The idea was to keep the residents close to the market and involved in the life of Frome.
The Building
The original building was erected in the mid-1400s. William Leversedge, the compassionate Lord of the Manor, wanted to do something about the homeless of Frome. He built a hall, a chapel, and twelve separate rooms in a 4½ acre garden.
Money
Over the years, the Blue House enjoyed many benefactors and charitable donations (some anonymous). These included six cows left for the relief of the ‘poure people’. And 4d ‘to (be given to) every poor person of the Alms house in Frome’. A wealthy London City merchant, who was born in Frome, left £30 to be shared weekly by the residents. This money was also to be spent on sermons at St John’s, dinner and a gift of gloves for the vicar and the trustees of the Blue House. And he included a loaf of bread for each resident too.
The Frome Community
In about 1690, James Wickham, married into the local Whitchurch family. He became very involved in the Frome community. It is believed that he was related to William of Wykeham, founder of Winchester College and who was the first to use the expression of ‘manners maketh man’.
In the 1720s Wickham raised £1,401 8s 9d for the renovation of the almshouse. It was prepared for 20 female widows and a new school for 20 boys. An additional £12 8s was raised for the two statues at the front of the Blue House. ‘Billy Ball’ and ‘Nancy Guy’ represent the school boys and the widows.
The school closed in 1921. And today the noble Blue House is home to 16 residents and is symbolic of the market town of Frome.
