Introduction
John Sharp’s 18th-century charitable trust at Bamburgh Castle is often dubbed a ‘welfare state’ today, but that is misleading. There were no laws or taxes, no inflated public sector salaries or party politics, just spontaneous generosity and the freedom to get the job done.
BAMBURGH Castle was the property of the Crown until 1610, when its guardians, the Fosters, were granted ownership in recognition of long service. But it was a shadow of its former glory, and to make matters worse, Tom Foster made the two-fold error of getting into debt and backing the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715.
The castle was forfeited to his uncle, Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham, who in 1721 left it in his Will to a Trust overseen by John Sharp, Archdeacon of Northumberland.*
In the castle’s Keep, Sharp founded a school, later attended by Grace Darling, and hosted a magistrates’ court for settling disputes.
He set up a ‘cheap shop’ for local residents, selling fuel and groceries. There was a hospital and pharmacy, a midwife, and a surgeon.
Sharp is also credited with organising the world’s first coastguard service in 1786, providing a lifeboat, rescue equipment and lifeboatmen on call during storms, and accommodation in the castle for shipwrecked sailors.
He was a brother of Granville Sharp, the anti-slavery campaigner.
Précis
In the 18th century, Bamburgh Castle was vested in a Trust, managed by John Sharp, Archdeacon of Northumberland. Sharp used the castle to provide free education and healthcare for local residents, opened shops selling affordable groceries, and instituted the world’s first coastguard service. (43 / 60 words)
In the 18th century, Bamburgh Castle was vested in a Trust, managed by John Sharp, Archdeacon of Northumberland. Sharp used the castle to provide free education and healthcare for local residents, opened shops selling affordable groceries, and instituted the world’s first coastguard service.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 40 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, may, or, since, unless, until.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Forfeit. Former. Pharmacy.
2 Fuel. Providing. Set.
3 First. He. Midwife.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
gl (11+3)
agile. eagle. gala. gale. gaol. gel. glee. glue. goal. guile. ogle.
gal. goalie. igloo.
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