THE OVERSEERS OF THE POOR

The Overseers records began in 1673 and I have so far transcribed their accounts up to 1716 to cover the gap when no Parish records of baptisms, marriages or burials seem to have been kept. Several pages are missing and a few are torn so these records in themselves are not complete. They record the rates collected from the wealthier inhabitants and property owners and show how these sums were distributed. Other money was also received, such as from the Dyer Symcockes bequest and the John Rocke bequest, money to be distributed amongst the poor. There were fines such as in 1683 when William Kelway buried his wife in linen instead of woollen, as had been ordained by Act of Parliament and again in 1713 when Katherine Webb was similarly buried. When people receiving relief from the Parish died, their goods could be sold to cover the cost of burial [as happened to the Brownings in 1683/4].

Many children were orphaned and old people became sick and destitute. At first one sees the Overseers distributing clothes and shoes to them, fire for heating etc. and families taking in such unfortunates and the thought occurs to you what an idyllic and charitable world it must have been. Imagine little Joan getting a new frock and shoes and running home hand in hand with her foster parent. It was nothing of the kind in most cases – these destitute people were forced upon the other inhabitants [and once or twice they had to be taken to court to force them to accept their obligations] it was not as pleasant as it could have been. Here are the terms agreed by the parishioners in 1686 with Henry Bull JP – it set them apart from their more fortunate brethren and they had to bear the stigma of being poor. It was also difficult to move into the parish if you were poor and several families were escorted out who it was considered might become a burden to the parishioners, including the earliest recorded Higginses, sent back to Lydford!

Inpmis: That the said parishioners, togeather with the minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the Poor, shall meet the fisrt Sunday in the afternoon in every month in the Parish Church of Butley, to consider the state of the poor of the Parish, that they may have releife according to their severall necessityes: and for the making of other ByLawes for the better regulating of any disorders that may arise in the Parish, provided that nothing be done and concluded on contrary to the Lawes of the Land.

2ly: That noe person shall bee releived by the sd Parish, but such as can bee provided for by the act of Parliament; viz, in the first place such as are aged, decrepid, and those that are past their labour; 2ly the infant ffatherlesse and motherlesse not being able to work. 3ly such persons as are naturally disabled either in witt or member, as the idiott, lunatick, blind or lame; 4ly Those persons that shall happen to bee visited with any greivous disease or sicknesse (though casually) yett for the time being (they being impotent) are to bee releived.

3ly That none have at any time any releife from the Parish, or any more by the weeke then what shall bee allowed, by the said Parishioners at their monthly meeting upon mature deliberation of their condition; one fourth part whereof to bee reserved in the hands of the Overseers to buy coale for them against winter; and that then the said allowance bee alwaise regulated according to the plenty of worke that is to bee had; and price of corne, if dear the more, if cheap, the lesse; and that what persons have at any time any any occasion of releife, shall make knowne their condition to the said parishioners at their said monethly meeting if they are able; or in case they are sick by their ffriends or neighbours; and in case any are modest, or ashamed to make their condition knowne, the overseers are to take notice thereof, and acquiant the Parish hierewith at their next meeting, that soe they may be relieved likewise; for such are the most proper objects of charity.

4ly That said poor repair every Sunday to the Common Seat provided for them in the said Parish Church of Butly, there to hear divine service and sermon, unless they are prevented by sicknesse or have any other lawfull excuse; and that the overseers of the poor or churchwardens take notice of such as shall bee absent and acquiant the parishioners therewith at their next monthly meeting at which meeting their releife shall constantly bee paid them by the overseers for the moneth next in money, and not in goods, that soe the said poor people may provide for themselves at the best hand; and that for the future, if they shall wilfully absent themselves from church, as aforesaid, they shall have noe relife, or at least an abatement thereof for every weeke that they shall bee soe absent on the Sunday.

5ly; That such poor as beside their weekly releife, have clothes provided for them at the charge of the Parish, have them constantly made after one ffashion; and such as may distinguish them from other Parishioners, and that two Red Letters, viz P:B: for the Parish of Butleigh be sowed either on their Armes, or on their Backes; and that whenever any of the said poor chance to dye, they shall bee buried at the Parish charge, and their clothes and what other goods they shall happen to leave behind them, shall bee enquired into, and sessed by the Overseers, and disposed of to the best advantage for of the said Parish.

6ly That enquiry be made by the Churchwardens and Overseers, what persons have already had apprentices put on them by the said Parish; and that such Parish children as are fitt bee forthwith bound forth to those that have not; and if such persons shall refuse to take them, that warrants bee immediately procurred from the Justice of Peace to compell them thereto, and that thirty shillings bee the continuall allowance to bee given by the Parish with such apprentice to furnish them with clothes.

7ly That the Churchwardens, and Overseers of the Poor, or any other of the Parishioners doe from time to time take notice of what persons come into the Parish with an intent to inhabite therein, that may bee suspected in time to become chargeable thereto, and that they give notice thereof without partiality to the parishioners at their next monethly meeting, and in the mean time warne them to bee gone; and in case of refusal that they bee prossecuted to the utmost by the Overseers according to their duty; and whosoever shall harbour them to be prosecuted according to the law for keeping of inmates and if it bee anyone having releife from the Parish, their releife to be taken away.

8ly That a true inventory bee taken by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of all such young fellowes and maids as live at their owne hands, but are fitt to goe out to service, and that they forthwith warne them to gett them masters or mistresses; and that they give an account of their soe doing at the next monethly meeting of the Parish; and that upon refusal of the said young fellowes and maidens soe to doe, that they bee presented at the next Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be holden for the County of Somersett, and prossecuted to the utmost according to law, and that if after such presentment they shall still neglect to gett them services, such as harbour them bee presented at the next Law Day Court according to the statute against keeping of inmates.

9ly That such persons as excercise any trade or handicraft in the Parish and are not rated to the poor, bee not suffered to take any apprentice from any forreigne Parish without first giving security that such apprentice shall not at any time bee chargeable to this Parish, but return (after they have served their time) to the Parish from whence they came; and that such person as takes such apprentice bee forthwith rated to the poor if it may be done by Law, and that they have Parish children placed on them as well as others.

10thly That 2 or 3 of the cheife of the Parish bee appoynted every monthly meeting (together with the churchwardens and overseers of the poor) to attend the Justice of Peace, in case any complaint shall be made contrary to this agreement for the month following and that this agreement bee shown to such Justice of Peace and hee desired to comply with the Parish in it as far as there is nothing done contrary to the law of the land.

11thly That because it is a hard matter to have the whole Parish together at the said monthly meeting, it is ordered and agreed that the minister, churchwardens and overseers of the poor shall alwaies bee there, unlesse there be some lawfull cause to the contrary, and what they conclude on, together with such others of the Parish as shall happen to be there, provided it bee not contrary to the tune intent and meaning of these orders; shall be as binding and effectuall for the moneth next ensuing , with the consent of the Lord of the Mannor, as if the whole body the Parish were present.

12thly That these orders, together with whatever shall for the future bee thought upon for the good of the Parish bt the said Parishioners at their said monthly meeting, shall be entered into the Poor Books of the said Parish: and that the Overseers be obliged to manage their office according to the true intent and meaning of these orders under the penalty provided by the statute of the 43rd of Queen Elizabeth, if they shall doe the contrary.

The files I am transcribing are too large to download here at present but I have incorporated the information into the main files and here I am giving a table showing just which names occur and when from the period mainly 1673-1716 [plus a bit more in some cases].