Piece
See MH 82/12
Catalogue reference: MH 82/49
Date: 1954 Sept 16-1956 Nov 15
See MH 82/12
Item
Folios 307-309. Draft letter from the Poor Law Board to Henry Saunders, Clerk to...
Catalogue reference: MH 12/14019/201
What’s it about?
This record is about the Folios 307-309. Draft letter from the Poor Law Board to Henry Saunders, Clerk to... dating from 22 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 12/14019/201
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Date (When the record was created)
- 22 May 1848
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Description (What the record is about)
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- Content
- Folios 307-309. Draft letter from the Poor Law Board to Henry Saunders, Clerk to the Guardians of the Kidderminster Poor Law Union, referring to a letter from Thomas Hartley, inmate of Kidderminster Union Workhouse, complaining of treatment given to some of the paupers. In consequence, Mr Graves [John Thomas Graves] Poor Law Board Inspector, investigated the complaints and reported that the complaints do not call for special interference but, if they impugn against any officers and are regularly made, the Guardians should attend to them. The complainant should be heard in person. The guardians should investigate the following charges and send a report to the Board together with the minutes of evidence. 1. Joseph Seale, nearly blind, has had two bullets removed from his body and is badly ruptured. From 22 April 1848, the Master compelled him to work the larger pump. The exertion forced 'his entrails down'. 2. About 15 weeks ago, Joseph Beech was placed in the Receiving Ward in cold weather, without a fire. As he was walking up and down to keep warm, the Master said he would make him glad to go out again. He then kicked Beech in the side and smacked him on the head. Beech, who does not know 'how to speak to gentlemen' has made no complaint to the Guardians but names 3 men who witnessed the incident. These are William Webb, Thomas Butcher and John Bourne. The four men had only one blanket between them. 3. William Giles complained that the Schoolmaster flogged his ten-year-old son for dirtying his bed. The boy was put on dry bread for two days then on half diet for a further 12 and was repeatedly beaten by the Schoolmaster. Some men complain of the Workhouse diet and medical care as follows: The rice disagrees with them, the gruel and broth are thin and bad, without regulation of ingredients, it is useless to order fixed weights or measures; the nurse is inefficient, inmates are unable to see the medical officer and are neglected by his assistant, medical indulgences of beer and tobacco are not given to those whose age and infirmity require them, the elderly and infirm are obliged to do work unsuited to their strength. The Board wishes to be informed if any accusations of fraud concerning butter have been made against the workhouse master; if so, have they been investigated and with what result? 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/C10553629/
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Series information
MH 12
Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and...
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Over 27 million records
This record is held at The National Archives, Kew
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Records created or inherited by the Ministry of Health and successors, Local Government...
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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).
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Folios 307-309. Draft letter from the Poor Law Board to Henry Saunders, Clerk to...
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