The Consolidated Charities were formed in 1680. Money donated by six benefactors was used to purchase land in Barrow on Soar. The six benefactors were Thomas Jarrat, Thomas Marriot, Thomas Godard, Mr Watkinson, Ralph Allen and John Thorp. This is recorded on the charity boards in St Peter’s church and summarised in the table below
| Donor | Recipient | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jarrat | The Minister, two thirds: the poor, the highways and bridges: one third | The interest on £100 | |
| Thomas Marriot | The poor | The interest on £20 | |
| Thomas Godard | Widows | Sixpenny loaves from the interest on £10 | First Sunday in October |
| Mr Watkinson | The poor | Fourpenny loaves from the interest on £20 | First Sunday after Martinmas |
| Mr Watkinson | A settled Minister to preach a sermon | The interest on £20 | First Sunday after Martinmas |
| Ralph Allen | The poor | The interest on £5 | |
| John Thorp | The Minister | The interest on £5 |
The money donated totaled £180.To this was added £24 of accumulated interest and £12 of the town’s money giving a total of £216. On 1st December 1680 this money was used to purchase several pieces of land in the open fields of Barrow. This included a close purchased from Love Sculthorpe. It was called Love’s Close and situated in Barrow Holme.
Additional land was allotted to this charity when the open fields of Barrow were enclosed in 1761. This comprised of about 16 acres in Hawcliffe Field and less than an acre in Nether Field.
They were also allotted 2 acres in Charnwood Forest.
Report issued by the Charity Commissioners in 1838
It was reported that the land in Barrow-on-Soar belonging to the Consolidated Charities amounted to about 21 acres, let to William Lee for £42 pa. William Lee was also the tenant of the land belonging to Thomas Statham’s Charity.The two acres in Charnwood Forest were also let to the same person for £2 a-year, making the total income of the charity £44. Some of this money was given to the minister and some spent on the repair of the highways and bridges and some on bread for the poor. The residue, in recent years had been accumulated and at the time of the Inquiry the south end had a balance of £78 and north end a balance of £17.
It had been proposed to apply a part of the £78 in payment of a £60 debt owing on the building of a poor-house, £10 having already been applied for that purpose: the trustees were however informed that this would be objectionable, and that the whole of the residue should be disposed of for the benefit of the poor of Mountsorrell; and as great distress was existing at the time of the Inquiry among the stockingers and other manufacturers, it was suggested that it might be applied for the relief of those persons.
The earliest accounts known to be in existence relative to this charity commenced with the year 1826. The previous ones are said to be in possession of Mr. Castledine, the solicitor employed in conducting the suit for the appointment of new trustees, and who was himself then appointed to that office, but since his death, which happened in 1828, the old accounts have not been found. A considerable sum is stated to have been due to Mr. Castledine for carrying on the suit, and he is said to have applied the surplus rent which became due between 1820 and 1826 in liquidation of that sum. Since 1826 the accounts have been regularly kept, but they have not been examined or audited at any time.
In 1873 the trustees (William Cuffling, Henry Adderley, Richard Everard, Thomas Odams, Thomas Simpson, and John Daft Watts) purchased two closes of land in Barrow on Soar for £1332 from Thomas Angrave, Thomas Woodcock and Francis Harries.
Upper Barley Close comprised about 9 acres,as did Lower Barley Close. They adjoined each other and land belonging to a Mountsorrel Charity,
Thomas Goddard, one of the six benefactors, was born in Mountsorrel and baptised on 26 April 1604. By 1622 he was living St Giles Cripplegate where his son Thomas was baptised on 13 October of that year.
He was in the woolen cloth trade and owned considerable property in St Giles
He made his will on 30 March 1660, and died in May of that year. He asked to be buried in the church of St Giles Cripplegate.
In 1874 the charity was amalgamated with three other charities to form the Mountsorrel United Charity
The other three charities were the Richard Nidd Charity, the Thomas Statham Charity and the Joseph Danvers Charity