A MEMORIAL to a city philanthropist which was almost lost forever has been restored to a site close to its original home.

The Henry Williams Almshouses Obelisk was relocated carefully today [Thursday, September 25], in Truro’s Union Street, thanks to a partnership between Truro City Council and the Truro Municipal Charities Trust.

The obelisk was built as a memorial to Henry Williams, a 17th century Truro draper with a strong social conscience. Williams donated money in 1629 to set up the Truro Municipal Charities Trust, intended to fund almshouses (also known as a hospital) for ten poor widows. It provided clothing and a weekly allowance of four shillings (20p), as well as a meadow where the widows could keep a cow.

In the late 1960s, however, the major redevelopment in Truro’s city centre created new retail spaces and saw the construction of the former Carrick District Council offices, which led to the demolition of the original Williams Court.

These characterful almshouses were replaced with a more modern take which can still be found opposite Pydar House at the top of Pydar Street, and are still owned and managed by the Truro Municipal Charities Trust.

When the redevelopment occurred, the granite obelisk monument that sat at the centre of the almshouse development was removed. It was saved from destruction by contractor Rex Davey, who initially relocated it to his farm and later to the Dairyland attraction.

The obelisk has been returned to Truro following the closure and sale of Dairyland, thanks to the dedicated efforts of historian Barry West and the generosity of Dairyland’s current owners. The Truro Municipal Charities Trust had the final say on its new location and, fittingly, chose to return it to its original site, where an arch from the former almshouses is also located.

Truro City Council’s Parks Department assisted stonemasons CF Piper & Son and the charity by installing a new concrete base and supporting the installation. Together, they worked to return an important piece of heritage to Truro.

“This is an important moment for the people of Truro,” said Mr West. “Bringing the obelisk back home, almost to the place where it came from, is very poignant for me. It tells a story about what life was like in those days, and will serve to inform and educate young people so we can learn from the past.”

City councillor Bert Biscoe, who is also president of Truro Old Cornwall Society and secretary of Truro Civic Society, added: “I’m really delighted - this is a thing that will warm the cockles of Truro's heart.

“Henry Williams was a very forward-thinking man who left significant chunks of money and land for the benefit of the poor people of Truro.

“Had the obelisk not been rescued by Mr Davey, it would probably have suffered a similar fate to the early medieval West Bridge in Victoria Square, which was removed, un-recorded, after the 1988 floods and sent to Penryn Granite to be crushed for aggregates.”