Lord Crewe's Charity
Lord Crewe's Charity was established under the terms of the will of Nathaniel Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham, to distribute the income from his estates in the North East of England for the benefit of necessitous clergy in the ancient Diocese of Durham.
Crewe's ecclesiastical career accelerated after he caught the attention of Charles II, becoming Clerk of the Closet. He became Rector of Lincoln College Oxford in 1668. He had a close relationship with the king's brother, the Duke of York, later James II, and officiated at his marriage while Bishop of Oxford. Through James' influence he was elected Bishop of Durham in 1674. After James was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Crewe retreated to Durham until his death in 1721.
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Contacting us during Coronavirus period
We will be mainly working from home during the current period of isolation. Please do not contact us by post during this period. Please do continue to use email. Telephone calls to the Charity's number will be redirected and should reach us. W...
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The Charity
Lord Crewe was Bishop of Durham from 1675 to 1721, having previously been Rector (Principal) of Lincoln College Oxford and Bishop of Oxford. Since his death in 1721, his trustees have implemented the terms of his will to support various named chariti...
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Seahouses Hostel
We are happy to announce that following the completion of a £250,000 investment by Lord Crewe's Charity the Hostel reopened (from April 2017) for bookings by church and other groups. The Hostel is operated by an independent charity which ...
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The Estates
The estates Lord Crewe left to his charity in his will of 1721 had been acquired through purchase of property formerly belonging to the family of his wife, Dorothy Forster. Sir William Forster and his sons had been considerable landowners in Northum...