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Poor Law and the Parish

Following an Act of 1598 for the relief of the poor  parishes were obliged to appoint Overseers of the poor. The duties of the overseers were to find work for the unemployed and to set up housing for those unable to provide for themselves. This act was replaced in 1601 with an act requiring the parish to also give relief to its aged and helpless. They were required to bring unprotected children in “habits of industry” and to provide work for anyone who could no longer follow his own trade.

At the Easter Vestry meeting every parish elected two Church Wardens, Overseers of the Poor and other Parish Offices. They also decided on the rate to levy on property holders and the amount to use for the poor of the parish at regular monthly vestry meetings. Warwick Record Office holds a book of vestry minutes for 1814-1840 for Willoughby, Warwickshire.

An example from the book is given here:

On December 8th 1814 it was agreed that the rate to be paid to the poor was as follows

1. A Man and is Wife         3d per week

2. A Man and is Wife and two children  4d per week

3. A Man and is Wife and 4 children  6d per week

4. and also to pay Hannah Goode wid is late come to the parish the sum of 3d per week

Signed by William Ellard Overseer

This was William ELLARD [5131] (1764-1846)

Note the use of is for his.

In order to collect the appropriate rate the land and buildings within the parish were recorded. The evaluation records for the parish of Willoughby in Warwickshire for 1824 are also housed at Warwick Record Office.

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