Our history
SJMT (Sir Josiah Mason Trust) was founded in 1868 by Josiah Mason, a Victorian industrialist and philanthropist.
After many changes to our legal structure over a 150 year period, in 2018, we become a Limited Company and Charity. This new legal entity offers us greater protection and flexibility and enabled us to became the corporate Trustee of our 3 charities: Sir Josiah Mason's Almshouse Charity, Sir Josiah Mason's Care Charity and Sir Josiah Mason's Relief in Need and Educational Charity.
In July 2019, we welcomed Holy Trinity Heath Town Almshouse Charity and Holte & Bracebridge Charity to our family. These were followed by Thomas Banks Almshouses in 2021 & Oak Tree House Trust in 2022. These fantastic, historic charities had all struggled to attract new Trustees to continue and under our management and trusteeship, they can continue to operate in their original name.
Read more about each of these charities here by clicking on the name...
Sir Josiah Mason Trust
Holy Trinity Heath Town Charity
Holte & Bracebridge Charity
Thomas Banks Almshouses
Oak Tree House Trust
Sir Thomas Holte (1571-1654)
Sir Josiah Mason (1795-1881)
William Henry Rogers (1839-1900)
Letters from the Children who went to the Orphanage in Erdington going back to 1878
Whilst going through some old paperwork, we came across these historic letters that had been typed up in May 1933.
Extraction's of parts of an album containing the earliest memories of some of the Children that lived in the Sir Josiah Mason Orphanage in Erdington.