More than £300,000 has been left to charity by an Oswestry man. William Edward Jones, who died in January aged 96, left an estate of £875,775 in total.

Mr Jones, a former resident at Meadowbrook Court, Gobowen, Oswestry, left a share of his money to The Order of St John Priory of Wales. He was a knight of the order, part of the St John Ambulance.

The former insurance broker also left £50,000 each to the International Glaucoma Association, Hope House Children’s Hospices, Parkinson’s Disease Society, Leagues of Friends of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, the League of Friends of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and to Oswestry’s Derwen College.

Originally from Chirk Bank, Mr Jones lived with his family in Weston Rhyn before moving to Pant.

Along with his wife, Mabel, Mr Jones moved to Meadowbrook Court in 1997, before moving into the neighbouring Meadowbrook nursing home in 2000 when his wife died.

Helen Hughes, from the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt leagues of friends, said: “We are grateful to Mr Jones for remembering us in his will.”

She added: “His generous bequest will be of enormous benefit to us in helping us carry out various projects in the hospital for the benefit of both patients and staff.”

Vanessa Lloyd, Hope House appeals co-ordinator, said: “We are grateful for the kind donation from Mr Jones which will help us to continue to provide help and support for hundreds of local terminally ill children and their families.”