Our History

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History

Ann and Fletcher Partis were wealthy, and childless. They devoted a considerable part of their wealth to Partis College, buying land and building the College which is remarkably unchanged today.

Partis College was to be home to women who had been reduced by the death of their husbands or fathers from a state of competence and comfort to subsist on pittances insufficient or scarcely sufficient for their support in the latter years of their lives. Partis College catered for a particular group of women – those who were of 50 years and over with an income between £20 and £30 per annum, who were avowedly attached to the Church of England principles.

Regular attendance at the Chapel was expected. Among the several stipulations as to behaviour was that residents could come and go as they pleased but must return before 10 pm. Partis College is different in appearance to most almshouses, being a cross between a stately home and an Oxbridge College.

The buildings and the layout of the grounds (also largely unchanged) were intended to recreate an atmosphere of gracious living which would be familiar to residents. The neo-classical architecture, the honey-coloured Bath stone, the similarities to an elegant townscape and the landscaping combined to create a picture of gracious living sheltered from the world but not cut off from it.

Fletcher Partis died before the first residents arrived in 1825 nor did he witness the consecration of the Chapel (for Ann Partis an important part of College life) in 1826. Ann Partis continued to live in Bath and continued her interest in Partis life, though she supported many other charitable works with similar aims. She lived in Great Pulteney Street, and died there, from natural decay in 1846.

Personal Stories

“Quite simply, it was need that made me apply to live here. I was divorced in my late forties and had to rely on relatives for somewhere to live. I stayed with my daughter for 10 years until she had to move with her job. I was struggling financially and emotionally. It was a difficult time then but now I’ve never had it so good. I love living here.”
“When I was nearing retirement age I moved back to the UK after living in Australia. Our business had gone bust and I needed to make a decision about what to do for the best for me and my teenage children. I’d had a live-in job as a companion/driver for 10 years and accommodation was part of the package. When that ended I would have been living in a bedsit and penniless if it wasn’t for Partis.”
“I was forced to sell up when I got divorced. Then I retired and had money problems. It could have been a really terrible time in knowing where to go and what to do. I’d heard about Partis and the Christian aspect was important to me. Since I moved here 10 years ago, I value the friendship and company. Isolation can be a big problem for the elderly, but there’s no need to feel lonely here.”
“I was ready to open boxes, both in my life and literally. As a church army minister I’d worked all over the country. I’d lived in caravans, digs and bedsits and wasn’t wedded to bricks and mortar. But when I retired that changed. It was time to take stock. This has been my home more than anything I’ve ever had before.”
“I’d cared for my husband who had Alzheimer’s for a long time and when I was widowed quite recently, I became quite depressed and wondered what to do. I had a daughter who lived near Bath, but there was no possibility of me affording to live here. And then I found Partis. It’s like a new lease of life and I’m so happy here.”