We will first investigate a few more of the reports of 1631, and we shall find that the improvement effected in all parts of the administration of poor relief especially concerned the relief of the ablebodied; we will then examine a detailed report in order to see what light it throws on the interpretation of the general statements of other justices, and we will lastly try to find out if relief of this kind was confined to a few districts, or was administered all over the country, and also in what parts of the country there was the greatest need of employment. [Sidenote: 7. The improvement effected in 1631 especially concerned the unemployed.] To begin with cases in which improvement was reported in April 1631. From a large district of Hertfordshire we hear "we haue already raysed a stocke in some parishes, and are raysing stocks for the rest to sett all the poore on worke in this division[608]." In Essex, Richmond, Bedford and Beverley fresh taxes for this purpose had just been raised, and at Agbrigg they were still "setlinge such a course for raysinge of stocke to sett y^e people of able bodies on work[609]." [608] For the Liberty of St Albans and the hundred of Cashio (excepting Rickmansworth, Watford and Sarratt), Vol. 188, 43. [609] _Essex_, Vol. 188, 92. Poor in misery, because clothiers do not set them to work, but the justices "did cause" the "able men of parishes" to "raise stockes and meanes to sett their poore on worke." _Richmond_, Vol. 189, 65. "We haue likewise given direccons for another assessem^t to be presently made and levyed for the raising of a summe in grosse for a stocke for the setting to worke suche as are able and binding and putting forth apprentices w^{ch} occasions haue hitherto beene supplyed forth of the com(m)on stocke of the towne chamber w^{th} the making and levying of w^{ch} assessement the overseers are now in hande." _Bedford_, Vol. 189, 27, I. _Beverley_, Vol. 189, 8, X. Stocks were raised for keeping the poor to work "(viz^t) in St Maryes parish six poundes, in St Martin's parish sewven poundes, and in St Nicholas parish six pounde, besides the stocks they form(er)ly had." The poor were employed in spinning hemp. _Agbrigg_, Vol. 189, 55. The justices sat at Wakefield, yesterday, for this purpose. The letter is dated April 29, 1631. At Winchester the same thing is implied: the stock has been put in a clothier's hands, so that now the poor do not want work[610]. Twenty-eight reports relating not only to measures for corn, but also for the poor were sent in between April 21st and April 30th 1631. In seventeen of these the poor were set to work, and in many cases we can see that the measures have been taken since the receipt of the Book of Orders of January 1631/2[611].