On 10 August 1878 a
royal commission was established to investigate the parochial charities. It reported on 12 March 1880, which led to the '
(46 & 47 Vict. c. 36). This provided that the five largest parishes should continue to administer their own charitable endowments, but that the charities of the remaining 107 parishes (consisting of about 1,400 separate charitable gifts and bequests stretching back over 400 years) should be administered by a new corporate body officially called the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities'. For most of its history it was known as City Parochial Foundation but since 2010 has been known as Trust for London. A central governing body (CGB) was established for the trustees, consisting of 21 members, nominated by
the Crown, the
Corporation of the City of London, the
London County Council, the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the
senate of the
University of London, the councils of
University College, London and
King's College, London, the council of the
City and Guilds of London Institute, and the governing bodies of the
Bishopsgate Foundation and the
Cripplegate Foundation. There are now 17 members, mostly now nominated by the trust itself, although some members are still nominated by London councils, the Greater London Authority, the
Church Commissioners, and the Corporation of the City of London. The trust assumed
trusteeship of the City Church Fund, which held the ecclesiastical endowments. In 1899, it also assumed trusteeship of the
Chelsea Physic Garden, which it held until 1983. In 1933, it also took over the
People's Palace and Four Boroughs' Fund, in 1957 the new
Sion Hospital (London) Charity, in 1966 the
Whitley House Charity, and in 1982 the
Ratcliff Fund. ==References==