Folios 202-203. Letter from William E Goodacre, Clerk to the Guardians of the Mansfield...

Folios 202-203. Letter from William E Goodacre, Clerk to the Guardians of the Mansfield Poor Law Union to the Poor Law Board. Goodacre writes seeking the Board's advice and approval in the case of Ishmael Brammer, an able bodied man, settled in the Mansfield Poor Law Union, with a wife and five children: James - 14, Ruth - 11, Sarah - 9, Elizabeth - 7 and Ann - 5, who had applied for help to send Ruth to the seaside, at the recommendation of the medical officer, in the hopes of preventing her from becoming utterly and incurably blind. He states that the expense will probably be considerable as she is quite unable to take care of herself, one eye being lost and the other in a critical state. Goodacre states that, at present, the guardians have no means of sending her, except by paying a sufficient weekly sum as relief to defray the expenses, unless as may be the case, a portion be raised by private charity to pay the travelling expenses.

Goodacre asks the Board whether weekly relief for board and lodgings may be given under the second exception to Article 1 of the Prohibitory Order as to part of a family of an able bodied man, on account of sickness or infirmity. The earnings of the man was about 14s a week. Goodacre states that as the medical officer alleges the recovery depends very much on the remedy being specifically applied, the guardians ask the Board for their opinion as early as possible, they having given a conditional authority depending upon the reply.

Annotated: this case is within exception 2 of Articles 1 and 2 of the General Prohibitory Order and the Board say that it is competent to the guardians to render the assistance proposed in this case if they consider that the father of the girl is not in a position, out of his earnings, to procure the treatment which the medical officer advises is necessary, of course it can only be given as relief.

Paper Number: 34193/1867.

Poor Law Union Number: 337.

Counties: Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.