Joseph Paddon: The Fareham Almshouses That Still Carry His Name

Joseph Paddon was a prominent nineteenth-century Fareham resident whose most visible legacy was created in memory of his wife.

Born around 1783, Paddon was sufficiently established in the town to be named in 1836 among the commissioners responsible for administering the land tax in Hampshire. The same list includes several other leading Fareham figures, suggesting that he belonged to the town’s wealthy and influential professional class.

His lasting contribution came in 1850.

That year Paddon built two almshouses on Wickham Road in memory of his wife, Elizabeth. Contemporary descriptions say that they were intended for two elderly women, who were allowed to live there rent-free and also received a small weekly allowance.

Almshouses provided a form of secure charitable housing long before the creation of the modern welfare state. For an elderly woman with little income and no family able to support her, accommodation of this kind could make an enormous difference. Paddon’s gift therefore provided both a home and a measure of financial security.

What makes his story particularly striking is that the charity has survived.

The Paddon Memorial Charities still exists today as a registered almshouse charity. It now holds properties in Fareham and Cosham and continues to provide housing for people facing need, hardship or distress. Its governing scheme still includes particular provision for older single women, preserving something of the purpose behind Paddon’s original foundation.

Joseph Paddon died in 1863, but more than 160 years later his name remains attached to charitable housing in the Fareham area.

His memorial at St Peter & St Paul therefore tells a story whose consequences are still visible. A Victorian Fareham resident chose to commemorate his wife by providing homes for people who needed them, and the charitable work begun in her memory continues into the twenty-first century.