Catalogue description Content: Folios 38-46. Letter from Thomas Day, Clerk to the Guardians of Bromsgrove...

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Details of MH 12/13905/22
Reference: MH 12/13905/22
Description:
Content: Folios 38-46. Letter from Thomas Day, Clerk to the Guardians of Bromsgrove Poor Law Union, to the Poor Law Commission. The Commission's circular letter of 15 February 1841 regarding mendicant vagrants was read at a meeting of the guardians on 22 February. In answer to the first point, the guardians think it desirable that they should have the power of detaining an able-bodied vagrant for six hours during working time on the day following his or her admission to the workhouse. On the second point, the guardians cannot give any decided opinion, the system of relieving mendicants into the workhouse not having been introduced into the union. This class of persons are relieved by the relieving officer of overseer with food and lodging to the value of 6 d per person, generally at a lodging house. During recent severe weather the relief has been considerable compared to that given before. The guardians are aware of the evils of the present mode of dealing with the vagrants and the opportunities it affords for fraud and deceit. The guardians hope to adopt some means of checking imposture. If the county constabulary were instructed to apprehend the idle and dissolute and lodge them at the station for the night with the view of inflicting further punishment, it would do much to suppress vagrancy. Enclosed is a letter from Joseph Fletcher, Surgeon, to Day, dated 26 February 1841, regarding 'J Y', a resident of a lodging house who claims that a resident of the house is a fraudulent vagrant. Enclosed is a copy of a letter from J Y to Fletcher, dated 21 February, stating that a man, woman and child came from Droitwich to Bromsgrove, cut matches and sold them and still applied and received relief from the union. He also refers to a time he spent at Uxbridge [Middlesex] where all who applied for relief in the town was granted it. Poor Law Union Number 526. Counties: Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire.
Date: 26 Feb 1841
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

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