As an educational and research charity, CWAAS has in the past benefitted from legacies left by deceased members. We would ask all members who are making a will to think about making a gift to the Society, however small. All such legacies will be listed on this page, unless the testator or his/her family asks for anonymity. Gifts made to a charity in this way are exempt from Inheritance Tax. It is best to use words such as I leave to Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, Registered Charity Number 227786 the sum of £ (to be completed) (amount in words) for its general purposes and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or other duly authorised officer shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors. This allows the society to make the best use of the gift, going forward, in the changing conditions of the times. However, if there is a specific purpose for which you wish the money to be used, we are more than happy to accept it, provided it fits in with our overall charitable purposes. If you have any questions, please contact our General Secretary.

Recent Past Legacies, and how they have been used

Stephen Harbottle, 2019, £2000: a part of this has already been used to allow a forthcoming publication to be produced in full colour instead of black-and-white – and an acknowledgement to that effect will appear in the volume

TWW Jones, 2014, £5000: this sum was spend upon the 150th anniversary volume, and an acknowledgement published in that volume

Sandringham Trust, 2012: this was an anonymous legacy of £10,000, and was spent on the project to digitise back-numbers of Transactions.

Marion Wood, 2011: £1000: put in General Funds, and used for the society’s Research & Grants expenditure

Anon, 2008: £233, put into General Funds

Mr Alp, 2008: £1000, put into General Funds

Clare Fell, 2004: The total value of this legacy, together with a gift from the family, came to £34,816. This was set aside as a Designated Fund to offer bursaries for young people who wish to develop their interests in archaeology. The value of the investment in our funds has since grown to £80,043 (31 Jan 2019)

A.R. (Tony) Jabez-Smith, 2000, left £170,081 to the Society, to be invested, and the income used to support Society aims and objectives. It was put into General Funds This is believed to be the single largest legacy ever received by the Society.

Mary Fair, 1997: On her death in 1955, she left the reversion of her estate to the Society, which came to us in 1997, worth £38,333, to be used for research and publication on Cumberland. It was put into our General Funds and was part used for initial funding of the VCH project.

Dr Terence G. Fahy, 1990, left half his property to the Society. He asked that the capital be kept intact, and that the income be used to assist with publication of genealogical and historical research on Cumbria and Lancashire North of the Sands, particularly the southern part, but not for existing publications. The Cumbria County History Trust has been part-funded from this source. At 31 January 2019, the Fahy Fund stood in the Society’s accounts as a Restricted Fund with the value of £89,858

Edmund Albert Whittaker Hodge, FSA, 1979: £10,000 left to the Society, the income to be used for publication or research in stained glass, church architecture, and Victorian or Georgian architecture, while allowing the capital to be used if required (This became part of our Designated Publications Funds).

The Final Report and Accounts ending January 2024 are available to download from the link below.

The Final Report and Accounts ending January 2023 are available to download from the link below.

The Final Report and Accounts ending January 2022 are available to download from the link below.

The Final Report and Accounts ending January 2021 are available to download from the link below.