John Thomas Gregson (1862-1949) was born and educated in Bolton and came from a Unitarian family. He went to South Africa in 1886 and made a considerable fortune as a banker. On his retirement he returned to Bolton, where he lived until his death. He was a bachelor, and at his death his only near relatives were his two nieces, Mrs Amy Howarth and Mrs Sybil Dodson.
In his will he appointed these two nieces as his executors and directed that, after a period of five years, half of his remaining estate should be given to such institutions as his nieces should determine.
In 1954 Mrs Howarth and Mrs Dodson decided to establish a Trust in their uncle's name, the essential purpose of which would be to give assistance in the maintenance of the fabric of Unitarian and Free Christian Church Buildings of historical and architectural merit. The Trust came into operation in 1957.
Since that time the Trust has assisted over sixty chapels in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the list of those assisted contains the names of all the oldest Unitarian church buildings and meeting houses. The Trust has thus played an important role in helping to maintain part of our national religious heritage.
Please note:
Applications from non-Unitarian chapels have been received from time to time, but these have been rejected on the basis of the contents of the Trust Deed, as have requests for assistance towards the building of new Unitarian buildings.
