From this pamphlet we see therefore that the law was sometimes well executed in particular places although as a rule it was negligently enforced. This view of the matter is confirmed by the rest of the evidence concerning the period from 1569 to 1597. It is the period of the growth of legislation and of the machinery of administration, but the working together of the whole system was also locally successful. At Reading, St Albans, Norwich, Leicester, York and Ipswich there is abundant evidence to show that many steps were taken to relieve the poor, while in Gloucester also we can see that increased action was taken in this direction, and that the statute of 1572 was more vigorously enforced than its predecessors. The City controlled the two hospitals of St Bartholomew and of St Margaret[298] and the corporation yearly elected a president, a treasurer, two surveyors, two almoners and two scrutineers to look after them. For certain years the accounts of Governor, Treasurer, Almoner and Scrutineer of St Bartholomew's still exist[299]. Before 1569 the house of the White Friars had been made into a House of Correction. For three parishes the accounts of the collectors of the poor exist for the years 1572-3 and for five other parishes for one or more of the succeeding ten years[300]. It would thus seem that the statute of 1572 was put regularly in execution in Gloucester and that this was the first statute that was thus regularly enforced. [298] Rudder's _Gloucestershire_, pp. 186, 202. Queen Elizabeth granted the patronage of St Mary Magdalen also to the City on Dec. 4th, 41 Qu. Eliz. p. 187. [299] _Calendar of the Records of the Corporation of Gloucester._ No. 1335. 1569-70. Governor's account. Almoners and Governors exist as early as 1558-9. No. 1327. No. 1336. 1570-71. Almoner's account. No. 1337. 1570-71. Treasurer's account. No. 1339. 1570-71. Almoner's account. No. 1340. 1573-74. Scrutinear's account, etc. The Masters' accounts of St Margaret's are also preserved for the years 1556, 1560-1, 1561-2. _Ib._ p. 459. [300] _Calendar of the Records of the Corporation of Gloucester._ Accounts of the Collectors for the poor. No. 1349. 1572-3. Parish of St Nicholas, St Mary de Lode and St Mary de Crypt. 1350. 1575-6. Parish of Holy Trinity. 1352. " " Graslane. 1352. " " St Michael. 1353. " " St Katherine. 1355. 1576. " St Ewen, etc. The only account of this kind before 1572 is an undated account of the reign of Queen Elizabeth in a time of plague.