About us

The Harpur Trust was founded over 450 years ago by Sir William Harpur, a local man born to humble beginnings who made his fortune as a merchant tailor and became Lord Mayor of London.

In 1566 Sir William and his wife Dame Alice created an endowment to support the education of disadvantaged children at what became Bedford School, and to meet the most urgent community needs of the time including dowries for ‘poor maids’ and the relief of poverty.

The original endowment was principally 13 acres of farmland in Holborn, then outside London. As London grew it became part of the city and much more valuable. Today, most of our assets are held in investments which are currently worth over £100m, and our turnover is around £60m per year.

By law we must preserve Sir William Harpur’s endowment in perpetuity, but we use the return that it generates to fund work still inspired by his vision.

As the world has changed, our activities have evolved, but they all still support our three charitable objectives that Sir William would have recognised:

• The promotion of education.
• The relief of those in Bedford who are sick or in need, hardship or distress.
• The provision of recreational facilities in Bedford with a social welfare purpose.

If you look closely at our logo, you will notice a weave design within the H, signifying Sir William’s origins as a tailor and our place as a part of the fabric of Bedford.