A cash boost of more than £71,000 is on its way to four charities - from a spinster who lived in "genteel poverty".

Mary Southall died in February, aged 89. Now her will has been finalised, leaving £17,850 each to four charities in Wantage.

The cash will go to the Vale and Downland Museum Trust, the Arbery Building Preservation Trust, Wantage Hospital League of Friends and the Betjeman Millennium Park project.

Miss Southall was born in Wantage and lived all her life in Newbury Street, as did her younger brother Charles, who died shortly before her.

Neither Miss Southall nor her brother ever married and she had no remaining family. Their small rented house was full of possessions, although Miss Southall lived very frugally with no central heating and only a cold water tap.

One of the estate executors, Ann Prior,salvaged valuable antiques from the house and sold them at six auctions.

They included a William IV Worcester wine funnel which fetched £4,000, and two music stands, worth £2,000 each.

Mrs Prior said: "They grew up in genteel poverty, nothing was ever thrown away. They lived very poorly and did not know what the estate was worth."

Mary Ponton, secretary of the Wantage Hospital League of Friends, said: "The money is very welcome and we are grateful for it."

Story date: Wednesday 27 October

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