Piece
See MH 82/12
Catalogue reference: MH 82/49
Date: 1954 Sept 16-1956 Nov 15
See MH 82/12
Item
Folios 40-47. Letter from Alfred Power, [Assistant Poor Law Commissioner] to the...
Catalogue reference: MH 12/4536/17
What’s it about?
This record is about the Folios 40-47. Letter from Alfred Power, [Assistant Poor Law Commissioner] to the... dating from 16 Nov 1834 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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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- MH 12/4536/17
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Date (When the record was created)
- 16 Nov 1834
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Description (What the record is about)
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- Content
- Folios 40-47. Letter from Alfred Power, [Assistant Poor Law Commissioner] to the Poor Law Commission, referring to his visiting the Bishops Stortford workhouse to assess the position with regard to uniting the local parishes. He had a meeting with Stribling, Clerk and Assistant Overseer, at the workhouse but awaits a meeting with H G Ward before sending in a final statement. The Bishops Stortford annual value of £8,930 in 1815 whilst the present assessment is £6,060. Population in 1831 was 3958, and expenditure per head was £1 0s 8d. Employment is flourishing and malt is processed in the town. Power lists some of the issues regarding implementation of the Act: 1. There are 600 houses and cottages, some rented out at £10 per annum. Stribling managed to collect some of it for one year but for want of time was forced to abandon the scheme, and they remain un-assessed. 2. One of the heaviest burdens is the weekly allowance of 1s 6d per head for children under 13 years of age, who were on the pensions list in November 1833. The workhouse was offered to these children between the ages of 8-13 this reduced payment by £5-£6 per week. 3. Barge men and malt men abuse the system as they apply for relief immediately they are out of work, despite earning 18s per week when in work. They do not think of saving for the period of unemployment. No relief is given by Stribling to the able bodied unemployed, because work is available on a new cut of road three quarters of a mile long, and also in making improvements to the workhouse. The acreage of the farm has been reduced and the remaining land let as allotments to about 160 tenants. Stribling has reduced the weekly list from £22-£13. The year 1833-1834 cost £1,000 less than 1832-1833 and further reductions are expected. Power describes some of the building work that has taken place at the workhouse. The management of the workhouse is bad, especially as regards diet. There are four days a week when there is beef and pork for dinner with one pint of beer per person, half a pint for children, [3]days beef broth, puddings, bread and beer. Odd money of 2s a week is spent on tobacco, tea, etc. Permission to go out is seldom refused. There are 80 persons in the workhouse and only 60 beds. The rooms are commodious and the inmates have much better living than the labourers in their own cottages. At present the 20 females live in a separate building but the yard and other buildings are common to both sexes. Separation could be achieved. Power believes that extending manufacturing business is incompatible with a well run workhouse in a town where employment prospects are good. It would be an obstacle to union with other parishes. Power gives this account of Bishops Stortford with reference to Mr Ward's project for a union of the parishes of Widford, Much and Little Hadham, Albury, Furneaux, Stocking and Brent Pelhams, Braughing and Standon. A sketch map of the communication routes is enclosed which shows how Bishops Stortford lies between the proposed union and the county boundary with Thorley, Sawbridgeworth, Gilston and Hunsden in much the same position. Ward believes the two latter parishes are disinclined to join the union. Power spent over two days with Ward visiting all the parishes proposed for union and he considers that Bishops Stortford is the ideal place to be the headquarters of the whole district. This establishment could be constructed on ground already owned, or a part of it at Much Hadham where the workhouse holds 38 persons. The most distant parishes would be Brent Pelham and Much Hadham about 9 miles away. Power asks for the above not to be taken as a report, but a statement of his first impressions. He hopes the Board will let them know any observations they have on it. Poor Law Union Number 167. Counties: Hertfordshire and Essex.
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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/C10603870/
Series information
MH 12
Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and...
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Within the piece: MH 12/4536
Bishops Stortford 167. (Described at item level).
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Folios 40-47. Letter from Alfred Power, [Assistant Poor Law Commissioner] to the...
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