History

John Huntingdon was a wealthy landowner who lived in the 16th century. He grew up in an era when very little was done for those in poverty and it is said he witnessed a poor woman severely punished for stealing peas to feed her family.

old pea

He had no children and in his will he left lands and money for the benefit of the poor.

He also asked that a field of peas be sown every year and this tradition has continued down the centuries. His Christian faith undergirded his generosity and the connection with the church has remained and even today the one fixed appointment for a Trustee is the Vicar of the Parish.

Over the centuries the Trustees of JHC have always tried to follow the founder's aims to put the needs of the poor first. Even in the 21st Century there are Sawston people who are financially disadvantaged because of age, health, unemployment, lack of housing and educational need. Hopefully the difference today is that these people can be given new opportunities to change their lives and to influence the future direction of JHC.