Folios 483-485. To: The Local Government Act Office. From: Joseph Taylor and William...

MH 13/61/194

1864 Apr 6

Folios 483-485.

To: The Local Government Act Office.

From: Joseph Taylor and William Fox, Churchwardens of the New Parish of Christ Church, Denton [Lancashire].

Letter acknowledging receipt of a letter dated 1 April 1864. They state in reply, with reference to the objections urged by the Clerk to the Denton Local Board of Health, that 'no main sewer whatever passes either through or near to any part of the graveyard under our charge'; 'that no drain, of any kind, exists at the depth of 10 feet, as asserted in his letter'; and 'that no outlet can be found for Churchyard drainage, at present, of any sort'. Taylor and Fox contest the objections submitted by the Clerk to the Local Board at length. They state that 'whether it be our duty to open main sewers - to drain 9-feet-depth-graves into an outlet of 5ft 6in deep, and of most uncertain character - or to promote the healthiness of Denton by poisoning its cattle with graveyard drainage - we need not, at present, discuss', adding that the Local Board 'know perfectly well' that the parish of Christ Church 'is an independent one only for Episcopal, not for secular purposes'. They enquire whether, 'in the absence of all other means, we have not a claim upon the General Rate of the Local Board, for this necessary prevention of coming injury to health' and whether 'the complete draining, throughout the place of public sepulture, under our charge, be not strictly within the power and duty of the Local Board, in discharge of its appointed office as protector of the Public Health of Denton'.

Public Record(s)

English

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