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Folio 229. [Draft letter from the Poor Law Commission to Henry Smith, Chairman of...
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| Reference | MH 12/9228/124 |
|---|---|
| Date | 1837-04-07 |
| Description | Folio 229. [Draft letter from the Poor Law Commission to Henry Smith, Chairman of the Board of Guardians of the Basford Poor Law Union.] They have been considering the request made in the letter of 5 April 1837 that a discretionary power be given to the board of guardians of Basford Poor Law Union to enable them to relieve able bodied men with large families without sending them into the workhouse. The Commissioners emphasise that 'they feel no part of their duty to be more important or imperative than that of putting an end to all out door relief to the class of able bodied'. In consequence of the letter, the Commissioners have carried out an enquiry to find out the extent to which relief in the workhouse has been accepted by those able bodied men to whom it may have been offered. They find that on 1 April 1837 'the Basford W.H. (imperfect as the discipline exercised therein has latterly been) contains but six able bodied men'. The books show that the total number of inmates is currently 181, but in the previous week it was 183, and they feel this indicates 'that no great pressure exists upon the Basford W.H.' In the case of large families of young children, the Commissioners acknowledge that the burden on parents must be greater than where the families have few children, but they point out that parents are legally as well as naturally responsible for the support of their offspring. They say that it is only extreme cases 'that can justify the appropriation of the [common] fund of the community to their individual support'; that this is the principle of two Acts of Parliament; and that the Commissioners must adhere to this principle. They are not aware of any existing circumstances in the Basford Poor Law Union which indicates difficulty in adhering to the Rules as laid down for the guidance of the board of guardians. Poor Law Union Number 334. Counties: Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. |
| Held by | The National Archives, Kew |
| Legal status | Public Record(s) |
| Language |
English |
| Closure Status | Open Document, Open Description |
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Local Government Board and predecessors: Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and...
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