The Early History of English Poor ReliefLeonard, E. M., of Girton College
History
The Early History of English Poor Relief
Leonard, E. M., of Girton College
Poor laws -- Great Britain -- History
(6) If the parish were in two counties
or partly in a county and partly
in a borough there were only the one
set of Overseers, but the justices or
Mayors &c. were to be responsible for
the execution of the Act only within
the part of the parish in their own
counties or borough and the Overseers
were to account to both.
(7) In 1601 the penalty on justices
for neglecting to nominate Overseers
was fixed at £5.
(8) A special order was made that
the island of Foulness should be treated
as a parish.
(9) It was also provided that if an
action for trespass should be brought
against anyone acting in accordance
with the provisions of the statute, it
should be lawful for him to plead
"Not Guilty" or to plead the authority
of the Act. He was to be entitled to
treble damages "by reason of his
wrongfull vexacon."
Between the passing of these two Acts a series of resolutions was
circulated which related to the statute of 1597. These were attributed
to the judges and if they correctly stated the law several of the
new clauses of 1601 were already legally binding. Thus four of the
resolutions were as follows:
Res. 16. By this word parents is understoode a father or a grandfather,
mother or grandmother, being persons able.
Res. 17. Within the word children is included any childe, or
grandchilde, being able.
Res. 18. Parsons or Vicars &c. bee bound (as inhabitants) to the relief
of the poore as wel as others that inhabite within the parish.
Res. 19. Everie one that hath Tithes impropriate, coale mines or
lands in manuel occupation &c. is chargeable. And so for such as haue
saleable woods proportioning the same to an annual benefite.
W. Lambard, _Eirenarcha_, ed. 1599 after p. 206. See E. Cannan, _Hist.
of Local Rates_, p. 75.
[303] 4 and 5 Will. IV. c. 76 (1834).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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