Folios 168-171. A report from Robert Weale, Assistant Poor Law Commissioner, to the...

Folios 168-171. A report from Robert Weale, Assistant Poor Law Commissioner, to the Poor Law Board, in respect of a complaint preferred against William Winter, Workhouse Master, and Theopholis Winter, one of the relieving officers. Weale states that on 8 July 1847 he forwarded, to the Commission, a copy of a letter addressed to him by William Linwood. This morning he proceeded to enquire into the charges preferred in that letter. Mr Linwood attended the enquiry, several of the guardians were present. He annexed the depositions he took and explanations offered by the master of the workhouse and the relieving officer.

He claims it was very obvious to him that Tallents, the complainant, was very desirous of aggravating his grievance, and that his conduct on making his application for relief was far from being civil and respectful. Weale states that the Commission will see from his deposition that he denies being in a state of intoxication on his first application, and that John Bingley, the porter and George Smithurst, who assists the porter, both positively swear he was in that state. Weale says that the deposition from Tallents is at variance with the statement of Theopholis Winter. Weale says he is more than inclined to believe the latter Winter] rather than the former [Tallents]. However, Winter, the relieving officer claims that he did not deal with the case properly, it being the first presented to him. Winter said he should not have treated it as a vagrant case, nor to have referred it to the Committee, but dealt with it at his own discretion, until the ordinary meeting of the board. Winter had said that the case was certainly a novel one and he was under the impression that if Tallents was sent from Scotland, he would have been sent with a regular order of removal. Tallents did not allege that he complained of illness when applying to the relief officer, although he certainly had the opportunity of making such a complaint. Weale says that he doesn't think more than an error of judgement can be attributed to the relieving officer, and he had a very dogged subject to deal with. He advises that the ground of complaint against Winter, Workhouse Master, appears to be of a graver nature. After Tallents was admitted to the workhouse by the guardians, he should have been received in the manner pointed out in the workhouse rules, instead of which he was placed in the tramp ward instantly, ordered to work the mill and deprived of his dinner. He was kept for several hours in a small yard, without any seat, for several hours and at night sent with the vagrants to sleep. The next morning he was, again, brought to the vagrant's day room and remained until he discharged himself. Weale states that for William Winter's explanation of this improper treatment, he must refer the Commission to his statement (Winter's), observing that at the period his duties were very onerous from the immense pressure of business he was involved in consequence of the depression of trade in the union. Weale advises that at the conclusion of the enquiry Mr Linwood expressed a hope that Winter would not be severely dealt with, and he handed over a note, in which he states that he has no desire to injure Winter, though he thought it his duty to bring the case to the Commission. His (Winter's) great want is the power to govern his temper and not of capacity for his office. He hopes, therefore, that the matter will not be pushed to an extremity, nor could he believe that the interests of justice require that it should be. Weale adds that the guardians entertain a very high opinion of Mr Winter, and generally, he is much respected by the inhabitants of Mansfield. He states that the Reverend Cursham, the vicar of the parish, attended the enquiry and spoke of Winter's exemplary conduct. Weale advises that he will be in London next Monday and hopes to have the opportunity of conferring with the Commission on the subject.

[Continued at MH 12/9364/114.]

Paper Number: 15123/B/1847.

Poor Law Union Number: 337.

Counties: Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.