Leyton 1829 - Poor Law Overseers
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Letter from Leyton Essex 13th March 1829
This is a letter from the overseers of Leyton Essex to the
overseers of Saffron Walden presenting a bill for costs incurred in supporting a
pauper. Each parish elected two Overseers of the Poor every Easter: those
who were elected were unpaid and often were unwilling appointees who acted under
the supervision of the JPs. For a fuller explanation of the the poor laws
look no further than this page on Victorian Web
Elizabethan poor law.
If my memory of serves me correct, parishes were responsible for their paupers if they were in another parish and this is the motivation behind this letter.
This scan shows all the post marks on the letter.
Click to enlarge
The spelling is as per the letter. Note the arcane use of the f style s where there is a double ss as in Essex. I cannot replicate this on the computer. Also the author uses long hyphens as oppo9sed to commas.
The letter is addressed to Mr R D Thurgood, Vestry Clerk, Saffron Walden, Efsex
Leyton, Efsex, 13th March 1829
Sir
I send you our account for Robt Morgan made up to the 30th Instant -- & as we wish to close all our outstanding accounts before the present Overseers are out of Office -- I shall be obliged by your remitting the amount to me at your earliest convenience & also to say whether the same is to be continued as usual.
The paupers Wife is dead -- but the old man is very infirm nearly helplefs -- and past labour --
Your early attention to this will oblige,
Sir yours respectfully
S Richardson Assistant Overseer
To Mr Thurgood
_____________________________________________________
The Overseers of Saffron Walden
To the overseers of Leyton -- re
To 16 Weeks allowance to Robt Morgan - from the
15th Dec 1828 to the 30th March 1829 - at 4/- per
week £3,,4,,-
Paid to the Undertaker for Mary Morgan's Coffin Shroud etc 1,,10,,-
''----Church dues for ditto----------------------------------- -,,8,,-
________
£5,, 2,, -
This note has been added to the bottom in another hand
Pd by cheque 27 March 29
See Letter Book RDT