The Poor Law

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	Queen Elizabeth I elected overseers of the poor in each Parish, who had to raise a rate through
 the Parish Vestry for relief of the poor. The Churchwardens had to keep accounts. Here are some of 
their entries in the Parish Vestry account book:

1775 – 1791
Pd Thos. Chinn to have his wife inockilated - allowed by the Parish	£1:11: 0d
April 28 Pd Thomas Bennett for wood that Mary Gough had at 
				her groaning					 6d
1794 Aug 15 A journey to Bourton on the Hill with Sarah Hemmings for
	her examination, her being Pregnant with a Bastard			 9: 0d
	Horse hire for her to ride on						 4: 6d
	Her expenses and corn for her horse					 3: 6d	
	P’d the examination and warrant to take the man			 2: 0d
To Handy who is an entire Plague to me					 1: 0d
1823 Feb 26 Gave a Woman as came with a Big Belly redey to Lie in
	to see her out of the Parish						 6d

Among the records is a pathetic letter from a Mr. Thos. Martin to Mr. Richard Spiers, Churchwarden of Clifford Church. He wrote from Nottingham requesting financial help, as he was unable to work due to the illness of both himself and his wife. Here it is, written sometime between 1816 and 1826:-

“					Nottingham July 11th
Sir,
I ham hunder the painfull necesity of once more righting to you. I menchned in my last letter I should be
at Clifford by May quarter was up it was my full intent to have bin there on the 22nd of June. I menched
to Mr. Chapman some time back that my wife was in a Consumtive way as I thought she has bin ill 6 or
7 months but this last 3 months she has bin hunder the Doctors hands and I doe not Expect she will recover
wich was the sole cause of my not bin there - as to my part I have nothing to Expect but to be left with
5 chiltorn she his worn to a mear skiliton and yet the Doctor sais she is not in a Decline but be that as
it may without some Alteration takes place for the better she cannot live long – being placed in this
Dreadfull situation. I hope you will have the goodness to assist me to pay this quarters rent wich shall
be last favor I will ask of you wilst I remain in this place – as the gentlemen of Clifford wish me to
come home if she dies I will be there in a wick after Little did I think when I was at Clifford Ever bein
beholding to a parish but no man knows what he as to hundergo. I have never had sickness out of my family
a month to geather three years next October when I was first taken ill myself and lain seventeen wicks and
ten of them in the Hospital without being able to do any work.
Remain yours
 Thos. Martin”