William Portman Almshouses

The almshouses were established by Sir William Portman in 1643 to provide housing for six poor people.^[2] In April 1640, Portman was elected Member of Parliament for Taunton for the Short Parliament. He was re-elected for Taunton in November 1640 for the Long Parliament where he sat until February 1644 when he was disabled for supporting the Royalists^[3] He gave £40 per year from his Orchard Portman estate for the six "poor persons" dwelling in the almshouse.^[4]

The historical records of the almshouses are held by the South West Heritage Trust.^[5]

The building was restored in the 1970s when some of the windows were replaced and a new staircase added.^[6] It is still run as a charity providing housing.^[7]

The building is of Blue Lias with hamstone dressings and a slate roof.^[1]