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| Folios 51-60. Letter from Joseph Boulton, Assistant Overseer of the Poor and Vestry Clerk at Burslem, to Edwin Chadwick, Secretary to the Poor Law Commission, enclosing a Memorial from Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor on the subject of a proposed union of Burslem parish with other neighbouring parishes. Memorial responds to the proposal of an unnamed Assistant Commissioner to unite Burslem parish with Wolstanton, Newcastle under Lyme, Whitmore, Madeley, Keele, Betley, Balterley and Audley parishes and states that Burslem comprises four townships of Burslem, Sneyd, Abbey Hulton and Rushton Grange with 12,714 inhabitants in 1831 subsequently increased to not less than 14,000 mainly employed in potteries and coal mines. It paid about £5,000 in poor relief last year and contains about 2,800 acres. Holds markets twice a week. Wolstanton parish had 10,793 inhabitants at the last census subsequently increased to 12,000 chiefly employed in potteries and coal mines; has about 11,000 acres divided between twelve townships, that of Tunstall containing over half the total population, is no more than a mile from Burslem and holds a market weekly. Newcastle parish had 8,192 inhabitants at the last census mainly employed in manufacturing hats and cotton and silk goods, without any earthenware manufactures or intercourse by markets in Burslem or connections with the manufacturing part of Wolstanton parish being considered 'for all local purposes, as entirely unconnected with those parishes'. The other parishes are mostly agricultural, with small populations, widely separated from Burslem, but not inconveniently situated for union with Newcastle. Few residents in Burslem are not engaged in trade so that Guardians could not discharge duties unless meetings were held locally, although Burslem and Tunstall being contiguous the union of Burslem with Wolstanton parish would not suffer serious disadvantage. Within last two years Burslem spent £1,400 enlarging its Poor House (corresponded with Poor Law Commission on this) to take 300 inhabitants, although only 120 at present in residence (despite current period of distress) and could be further enlarged to cater for Wolstanton requirements. The paupers in the poor house have recently earned over £100 per annum on average in the local manufacturies, much more when the house 'thronged', and this income would be lost if the poor house were to be situated at some distance. Assistant Commissioner Hall has recently commended the system of efficiency and accuracy operating in the Poor House, where the Governor and Assistant Overseer manage matters well such that no improvement could be effected by their removal. The approval of the Poor Law Commission for the enlargement of the workhouse is, in any case, sufficient grounds for objecting to any union which would throw new burdens on the parish. In conclusion, objections are registered to union with any other parishes; a claim is made for an exclusive arrangement for Burslem similar to that made for the parish of Stoke upon Trent, but if union is necessary that it be with Wolstanton only. In the last resort, a plea is made that if a wider union is proposed that the inhabitants of Burslem be given chance to submit evidence of incompatibility between the parishes so proposed. Signed by: R H Haywood, Chief Constable; Joseph Wood, Thomas Brindley, John Wedgwood, Joseph Heginbottom, Churchwardens; Thomas Hughes, William Walker, John Dean, Thomas Stubbs Overseers of the Poor. Further signatures, occupations and amounts of rates paid at last levy of Enoch Wood and Sons, William Davenport and Co, George Phillips, Thomas Osborne for the Navigation, H and R Haywood, Samuel Marsh, John Goodwin, Ralph Johnson, Thomas Till, William Barker, James Sutton, [George Baker], George Alcock, John Alcock, Harding and Cockson, Robinson, Wood and Brownfield, John and Robert Godwin, Stephen Godwin, [John N Godwin or John A Godwin], [J Edwards], William Moore, Lewis George Hales, Elijah Jones, J J Holden, J P Harding, Daniel Ball, Joseph Walker, Thomas Massey, Joseph Hall, James Kelsall, [Jos Alcock], Ralph Scurrah, Peter Hopkin, Joseph Wade, Matthew Condliff, Benjamin Cork, Nehemiah Massey, Hamlet Leak, William Walley, William Jackson, William Goodwin, William Reynolds, James Smith, William Stonier, William Bromley, John Pearson, Richard Williamson, Thomas Godwin, Edward Moore, John Meakin, William Hulme, John Hulme, [Ra Lees], George Alcock, Richard Jones, John Machin, William Dunn, John Alcock, James Procter, John Mayer, John Billings, Thomas Weatherby, Eli Bentley, Aaron Sant, John Prime, Eli Steele, John Docksey, John Worthington, Enoch Jackson, Magor Walker, Nathan Heath, Samuel Fenton, Josiah Wood, Charles John Abraham, George Nicholls, Richard Timmis, James Clarke, Joseph Wade, Enoch Broad, Joseph Hasting, Joseph Edge, George Slater, Jonathan Smith, Thomas Woolley, Thomas Blackshaw, Charles Sargeant, Thomas Hall, William Bolderson, Ephraim Mayer, William Jackson, Josiah Copeland, George Skinner, Charles Ferdinand Wedgwood, William Barlow, Charles Hutton, Francis Walton, Richard Dean, Joseph Hawley, John Acton, Robert C Bates, James Dean, William Pointon, [Jos Twigg], Thomas Heath, John Nicklin, James Franks, [W A Arnold], Peter Batkin, Edward Withinshaw, William Machin, N N Pitts, [---- Morewood], Thomas Pinder, Charles Mellor, Samuel Marsh, Samuel Mayer junior, Joseph Mawdesley, Stephen Hughes, Elijah Hughes, John Hughes, Henry Noon, George Ryles, Samuel Sargeant, Thomas Lees, Thomas Hopkinson, [John ----], Samuel Tomkinson, George Beardmore, William Emery, Joseph Chadwick, William Wright, John Steele, John Harper, Thomas Hawkins, Edward Brassington, William Woolliscroft, John Woolliscroft, James Hammond, John Wedgwood, John Ward. Paper number: 10933/C/1837. Poor Law Union Number 415. Counties: Staffordshire. |
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