Piece
See MH 82/12
Catalogue reference: MH 82/49
Date: 1954 Sept 16-1956 Nov 15
See MH 82/12
Item
Folios 297-306. Covering note from John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Board Inspector,...
Catalogue reference: MH 12/14019/200
What’s it about?
This record is about the Folios 297-306. Covering note from John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Board Inspector,... dating from 9 May 1848 in the series Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and.... It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
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Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- MH 12/14019/200
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Date (When the record was created)
- 9 May 1848
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Description (What the record is about)
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- Content
- Folios 297-306. Covering note from John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Board Inspector, to Mr Glen [Clerk, Poor Law Board], forwarding papers referred to in Mr Glen's 'note of yesterday'. Letter [papers], dated 1 May 1848, from J T Graves [John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Inspector], Cheltenham [Gloucestershire], to the Poor Law Board reporting his visit to the Kidderminster Union when he listened to the grievances of several inmates of the Workhouse. The points he makes include: 1. Thomas Hartley's complaint, by letter of 17 April 1848, about having to wear stockings for 3 weeks, was well founded. 2. The guardians thought that a weekly change of worsted stockings, as prescribed by the 'Consolidated Order, Article 210 no. 9', was injurious to the stockings, not in accordance with the habits of the poor and not required by persons who did little walking. 3. Increase in stock and frequency of change, by the present Master and Matron, should prevent grounds for complaint in the future. Before listening to further complaints, Graves cautioned the inmates against frivolous faultfinding and insubordination. He recommended that they should take real grievances to the visiting guardians immediately. General comments on the statements given by the inmates are that the complaints are all of a domestic nature. The guardians should investigate these matters and, if necessary, remedy them. Guardians may be unwilling to listen to criticisms of the officers when made by a person for whom they have no respect but, if a complaint is regularly made, it should be attended to. The complainant should be allowed to be heard in person. The guardians should observe 'those forms which are calculated to prevent abuse.' For the above reasons Mr Graves recommends that his investigation of charges made to him by William Giles, Joseph Seale and Joseph Beech are sent to the guardians with the request that they report their decisions to the Poor Law Board together with minutes of evidence. His reports concerning the three men are listed as follows: 1. Charges made by William Giles against the schoolmaster were noted on paper 12090/1848 and dispatched today [1 May 1848]. 2. Joseph Seale is nearly blind, has had bullets removed from his body and suffers from a rupture. From Saturday 22 April 1848, the master forced him to work the larger pump. The exertion forced 'his entrails down'. 3. When Joseph Beech, age 15, came to the workhouse 12 weeks ago [late January/early February], he was kept in the receiving ward in cold weather without a fire. While walking up and down to keep warm, the master said he would make Beech glad to go out again, then kicked him in the side and smacked him on the head. Beech lacked confidence to complain to the guardians but said William Webb, Thomas Butcher and John Bourne witnessed the incident. These four inmates had only one blanket between them. Graves also notes that Hartley wrote about an 80-year-old man forced to the stone block. On investigation, however, Graves found a feeble man, aged 67, who was carried to the stone block but only for air in fine weather. His work was nominal. Other complaints concerning diet and medical care are as follows: 1. The rice disagreed with some inmates. 2. The gruel and broth were thin and bad. 3. Lack of regulation for the ingredients made fixing the size of portions pointless. 4. Allowances of tea, milk and butter were not given to infirm men entitled by the Guardians to receive them. 5. The nurse was inefficient. 6. Inmates could not see the Medical Officer and were neglected by his Assistant. 7. Medical indulgences of beer and tobacco were not given to the aged and infirm who required them. 8. Infirm inmates were forced to do work they were not fit for. Mr Graves has sent Mr Thanfield [Thomas Thursfield], Medical Officer, the names of those who had complained about diet and medical care, with a request that he should list, for the guardians, those who required butter and tea with milk on account of infirmity. In addition he should list those excused all work and those excused from stone-breaking. Graves concludes that, though such individuals as Thomas Hartley and Samuel Williams inflame discontent, he is not satisfied that all complaints are groundless. At the time of the inspection, the Master was absent attending his father's funeral. Annotation: former papers referred to Mr Graves 2 May 1848. Proceed as suggested by Mr Graves. Paper Number: 12953/1848. Poor Law Union Number 530. Counties: Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
- English
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Closure status (Whether the record is ‘open’ (available to the public) or ‘closed’ (not available due to a legal exemption))
- Open Document, Open Description
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C10553628/
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Series information
MH 12
Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and...
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Catalogue hierarchy
Over 27 million records
This record is held at The National Archives, Kew
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Within the department: MH
Records created or inherited by the Ministry of Health and successors, Local Government...
90,136 records
Within the series: MH 12
Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and...
443 records
Within the piece: MH 12/14019
Kidderminster 530. (Described at item level).
You are currently looking at the item: MH 12/14019/200
Folios 297-306. Covering note from John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Board Inspector,...
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