Weedon’s Almshouses were founded in 1624 after the death of Thomas Weedon, a draper from London who had originally lived in Pednor. He left £500 in his will to buy land to the value of £30 and build thereon four almshouses consisting of four tenements, each containing two rooms, one above and one below and having a separate garden attached thereto. The almshouses were to be kept in good repair by the trustees and were completely rebuilt in the late 19th century.

The occupants were usually one widower and three widows and the oldest of those applying would be preferred. All elderly Church of England parishioners of Chesham were eligible to be considered. The almshouses were managed by twelve parishioners who were freeholders of the town, and in the event of a tied dispute, the minister of the parish church had the deciding vote.

Adjacent to the Weedon’s Almshouses are the four Standring Flats, built after one of the Trustees, W. J. Standring, offered to allocate funds for new almshouses to be built in the communal garden grounds and a building committee consisting of several Councillors built four alms flats which were completed in 1955. Mr Standring contributed £3,500 of his own money while Councillor Andrew Patterson contributed £500.

In 1950, a 90 year old spinster named Mary Gertrude Dawes died in her cottage in Hivings Hill and left instructions in her will that a facility be built in Chesham for the accommodation of elderly people, to be known as The Dawes Homes. Six bungalows and a community centre/flat were built in Missenden Road, Chesham on land donated by William Lowndes and the bungalows were occupied in 1959 by three married couples and three single people. The Dawes Trust still exists. Miss Dawes additionally gifted land in Ridgeway Road, Chesham to the CUDC provided they built council houses. on it.

© Eleanor Phillips