Description: |
Folio 126. Letter from William Passey, of Coventry Street, Kidderminster, to the Poor Law Commission, complaining on behalf of Benjamin Hughes, who he says has been badly treated by the Kidderminster Poor Law Union. Hughes is a poor man, aged 72, who has been unable to procure a livelihood for the last two years and has become ill. Although trying to continue with work, he has only earned 2s 6d in the last three weeks, due to poor eyesight and illness. Both Passey and Hughes' former employer had referred him to the relieving officer as a needy and deserving case for poor relief but only a 'suspended order' had been granted, not even the basic provision of food. The relieving officer visited five days after the first application, which was made on 10 January 1837, by which time Hughes was ill in bed, having deteriorated due to lack of food, Passey says. He only had a halfpenny's worth of oatmeal left, his landlady said, but relief was refused. Hughes then went two days later to a place where the guardians had a committee meeting, when he was told by the relieving officer that he ought to go to his original parish of Ludlow, 22 miles away, to claim relief. Since then, Passey says, 'his face, legs and other parts of his body have begun to swell' and he is in an 'alarming state of deterioration'. The late employer made two attempts to speak to the guardians personally before the relieving officer was ordered to give instant relief, although he still took two days to comply, on 26 January 1837, and to request the doctor to attend. Passey is concerned, as well as for the deserving old man, 'to prevent the new system of relief [under the Poor Law Amendment Act] falling in general disgrace and abhorence' and requests the Commission to investigate for a possible case of negligence. Annotation: answer that attending to the matter. Paper Number: 780/C/1837. Poor Law Union Number 530. Counties: Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire. |
|