Merchant Venturers Almshouses

Merchant Venturers Almshouses is a historic building on King Street, Bristol, England. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.

History
It was built around 1696 by the Society of Merchant Venturers for convalescent and old sailors to see out their days, often after fever or blindness during service in the ships of the Bristol slave trade. It is now private accommodation, apartments 1 to 10.

They are built of Pennant stone in an early Georgian style. The pantile hipped roof has lateral and ridge stacks. There is an oculus over the central doorway, however most of the windows are 20th century replacements. It has scroll-bracketed door canopies at irregular angles.

The almshouses were originally built around a quadrangle however bombing and road realignment mean that it is now left with only three sides. It used to be accompanied by the Merchants Hall but this was destroyed in the Bristol Blitz of World War II.

In 2014 a long lease for the almshouses was signed for £620,000.

The plaque on the wall is a poem:

"Freed from all storms the tempest and the rage

Of billows, here we spend our age.

Our weather beaten vessels here repair

And from the Merchants' kind and generous care

Find harbour here; no more we put to sea

Until we launch into Eternity.

And lest our Widows whom we leave behind

Should want relief, they too a shelter find.

Thus all our anxious cares and sorrows cease

Whilst our kind Guardians turn our toils to ease.

May they be with an endless Sabbath blest

Who have afforded unto us this rest."

Archives
Records of Merchant Venturers' Almshouse are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. SMV/4/1) (online catalogue).