Piece
See MH 82/12
Catalogue reference: MH 82/49
Date: 1954 Sept 16-1956 Nov 15
See MH 82/12
Item
Folios 362-367. Unaddressed draft report of J T G [John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Inspector]...
Catalogue reference: MH 12/14019/234
What’s it about?
This record is about the Folios 362-367. Unaddressed draft report of J T G [John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Inspector]... dating from 7 Sept 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 12/14019/234
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Date (When the record was created)
- 7 Sept 1848
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Description (What the record is about)
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- Content
- Folios 362-367. Unaddressed draft report of J T G [John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Inspector] concerning discipline of the Kidderminster Poor Law Union Workhouse, after his visit of 5 September 1848 to attend a meeting of the guardians and inspect the workhouse. He reports that there were no complaints that required investigation. After his visit of 25 April 1848, he wrote a letter to [Thomas Thursfield] the Medical Officer]. Copy attached. Following this letter's recommendations, Thursfield made a list of those inmates exempted from all work, those to be set only light work and those fit for ordinary work. The master follows these suggestions. With respect to diet of infirm paupers, the guardians had not previously given directions to the master. He had either used his own discretion or followed the advice of the medical officer. Since 5 September 1848, the medical officer has agreed to list all those who require allowances and the guardians should direct the master to follow them. Concerning the complaints made to Mr Graves at his former visit he states that An enquiry was necessary. It would have been satisfactory if the guardians had reported the evidence in detail. Graves does not doubt the general correctness of their decisions but does not always agree with their judgment of the facts. In the case of charge number 1, he considers the master was to blame in the first instance for putting Seale [John Seale] to work on the large pump. As to charge number 2, considered the most serious, Graves would have undertaken the enquiry himself if he had known that three of the four alleged witnesses were not available for examination. However, Graves decides that the guardians should be accustomed to enquiring into complaints and, where possible, confidence placed in their decisions. At the meeting of the 5 September 1848, Graves was told that the guardians sometimes oppose the hearing of a pauper's complaint but he did not take this to mean that the Board had decided against a hearing in any case. Referring to the report of the Visiting Committee dated 30 May 1848, Graves notes that for 3 weeks, the Matron made an unauthorised reduction of the butter allowance. The outcome of this incident should prevent the future exercising of arbitrary authority by the master and matron. The Poor Law Board does not need to interfere further. Attached copy of letter from John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Inspector, to Thomas Thursfield, Medical Officer, referring to his inspection that morning [25 April 1848] of the workhouse where he found considerable discontent among several male inmates. He states that: 1. The master is accused of giving allowances of tea, sugar and butter to his favourites, without reference to their need for them. 2. He is also charged with setting men to do work for which they are not fit. 3. He, Graves, requests the medical officer to make a list of infirm persons that are allowed tea, sugar and butter. 4. The medical officer should also make lists of persons exempted from stone-breaking and those exempted from all work. 5. Having these lists the guardians would then direct the master to follow the medical officer's recommendations. Graves draws the attention of the medical officer to a number of inmates complaining about either diet, lack of indulgences or bodily ailments. These include: William Webb, William Leonard, James Reed, Edward Grove, Samuel Williams, Richard Charlton, [John Stevens] and Thomas Hartley. Samuel Williams was set to work while suffering from rheumatism, dropsy and asthma. Richard Charlton suffered from disorder of the bowels. This is a common complaint in the workhouse. He was unable to see the medical officer and 'was neglected' by the assistant, Mr Wallace. Referring to the medical care, Graves notes that several complainants have greater confidence in the medical officer than in his assistant and the nurse is unpopular with some inmates. Referring to complaints about rice, gruel and broth, Graves suggests that the medical officer should check whether the quality of these items requires change and he should examine the mode of preparing them. When Thomas Hartley complained of sick inmates being mixed with the well, Graves comments that though Hartley was in the same ward as a man named Gower, who suffered from an incessant cough and fistula, no one in good health was mingled with persons suffering acute illness. Persons suffering from the chronic infirmities of age cannot easily be separated from the merely aged. In conclusion Graves states that he does not impute the medical officer with blame or neglect. He has expressed his confidence to all inmates in Thursfield's professional skills. A decision given personally by the Medical Officer would allay discontent. Annotation: 'Put by', 8 September 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/C10553662/
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Series information
MH 12
Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and...
See the series level description for more information about this record.
Catalogue hierarchy
Over 27 million records
This record is held at The National Archives, Kew
379,532 records
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 12/14019/234
Folios 362-367. Unaddressed draft report of J T G [John Thomas Graves, Poor Law Inspector]...
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