367

AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

PARISH COUNCIL.

ROBABLY few parishes have preserved their records for a

than the country

In this parish the oldest

parish of Inkberrow, Worcestershire. account and minute books begin in 1657, since which date a continuous record exists to the present time. Defective in a few details which would now be interesting, these books preserve the names of all office holders since 1657, many minutes of the meetings, and for many years of the last century a continuous detailed account of how the rates were expended. The parish, situated in the Midlands, twelve miles from the cathedral city of Worcester, with no other large town near, on the eastern border of the once extensive forest of Feckenham, and without any large or remarkable building (except the church), is some 7,000 acres in area, and in 1657 had a probable population of about 700 or 800. In 5 Eliz. there were 129 families; and in 1770, 215 families, comprising 889 souls. The only industry was agriculture. With the exception of the parson, there never seem to have been more than two or three gentlemen residing in the parish, sometimes not even that number-the bulk of the inhabitants were labourers who worked for the yeomen and farmers. The situation of the parish insured its autonomy. The lord of the manor never lived on his property, which in those distant days probably brought him in nothing per annum, or, at best, but little. The old account books, therefore, present us with a true picture of a parish council in a village community during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The first entry, dated March 30, 1657, records the names of those "who were nominated, elected, chosen, and published to serve the offices of churchwardens (two), overseers of the poore (four), and supervisors ffor the high waies (two), and parish constable." These officers were chosen annually at a vestry meeting of the inhabitants held at Easter, and when necessary at other times, notice

being given in the church during service some previous "Lord's day." The council met in the church, but occasionally formally adjourned to continue its deliberations at "ye George Inne "—more often, perhaps, than is mentioned in the minutes. It is recorded that the vicar was chairman on at least two of these occasions, and put the motion for adjournment from the chair. At the conclusion of the meetings, which were open to all, the minute book was signed by those present, non-writers making a mark; many of the marks are the initial letter of the signer's surname.

The chiefest item of discussion and expenditure was of course the relief of the poor; the other subjects included church expenses, road repairs, constable's expenditure, payment for foxes' heads, sparrows, &c. On March 25, 1658, 20s. per annum was allowed to "a sufficient person to wringe & chime ye Bells every Lord's day, also to begin ye Psalme." October 29, 1659, "Ed. Peirce to have 2 shillings a quarter for keeping the register booke." The book just mentioned is lost; the present parish register beginning in 1675, and a few transcripts in the Diocesan Registry, represent all that can be found anterior to that date. Consequently but little is known of the state of the parish during the Civil War. In 1645 the King stayed one night at the vicarage, and left behind him a book of maps, which is still preserved. Six "esquires" of Inkberrow were fined for not accepting knighthood on the occasion of the coronation of Charles I. This seems to give an accurate idea of the condition of the parish before the War. None of the six were really wealthy or of more than mere local importance; the heaviest fine was £15, and the other five varied from £10 to £12. After the war there were certainly not as many as six "esquires." The following items are selected from 1657-60: "The widow Baskefild boy dyed, 6d. and 2d. more. Agreed to pay Jerrome Rice's rent, 12s. per ann. and 6d. a weeke for to keepe the widdowe Harvy during life. To John Laugher to sett him on worke, 5s. 6d. To Ann Sale by ye weeke for ye winter, 3d. To John Poundrell to redeeme his toles, 6s. Gave Hen. Griffin, 6d. Allowed Christopher Clifford to buy him shooes," &c., &c. The Restoration made no impression on these records, unless a paucity of details for the next ten years may be regarded as such, In 1675 the parish allowed its officers 1s. 6d. a day when travelling on parochial business, "provided they make not any unnecessary stay." On June 9, 1677, "Item, the constable is allowed at ye passing his accompts only (provided alway he be yn purse, not else, nor at any other time), to expend for ye refreshment of those wh. attend ye said business any summe not exceeding four shillings." In June

1683, a very lively meeting took place. There was a row with the churchwardens about the accounts of the previous three or four years, also with the constable, whose accounts, "wch had been sureptitiously pass'd, and generall hand-subscrib'd but no chwarden. or other officers, therefore disallow'd at this meeting and upon review severall matters found unduly charg'd, especially about ye removing ye one Earle (deducting ye pish allowance of 18d. a day, wch he had set down besides all other expenses). He stands indebted to the pish o0.08.01." Such exhibitions of parochial vigilance and financial purity seem to have occurred at intervals of a few years, the intervening period being characterised by some laxity in those respects. In 1697, "ye whole weekly pay for paupers" is put down as I os. 7d. As the population was about 770, this amount does not appear excessive, but was exclusive of the occasional and temporary relief, such items occurring as: "Given to old Jon Bradford's wiffe for twins, Is. ; to Henry Hunt's wench, 6d.,” &c. In 1700, the accounts of Mr. Richard Perks, churchwarden, contained several interesting items, e.g., "for ringing 29 May, 35.; for ringing at ye proclamation of ye war, 35. ; washing comunion challis and scouring ye plate, 1s. 6d. ; for taking five foxes, 5s. ; pd for whitsun farthings, 1s. 6d.," &c. During this year the erection of a workhouse was strongly and successfully opposed on the grounds that it would increase the rates; and at a subsequent meeting the resolution was confirmed, and mention made of "ye bell mettal wch upon ye late casting of ye bells was sold or imbezzled."

On October 12, 1705, a vestry meeting "ordered that, whereas ye dial in ye churchyard was lately taken away by stealth. A new dial be forthwith provided by ye present churchwardens and set up in ye same, or more convenient place of ye sayd churchyard."

The paupers evidently increased rapidly in number about the beginning of the eighteenth century, and some difficulty was found in dealing with them. The study of the accounts shows that pauperism became increasingly difficult to manage all through this century, and up to the year 1836, when a union was formed with Alcester as its centre. In 1711, one of the largest meetings ever held in the history of the parish agreed to the following measures: "That ye overseers forthwith cause ye poor yt are in weekly pay to be badg'd with I. P. (Inkberrow pauper), and that they wear the sayd Badge, else withhold yeir pay. That the children of those families yt have weekly pay who are of capacity for service be brought to a meeting to be dispos'd to service. That whereas a former order was made for searching out and taking acct of all forreigners and Intruders into ye parish ye s

order is now renew'd, and ye officers effectually to see that such persons be discharged or their names returned, that at ye next meeting a count be taken for removing them out of ye parish." The removal of pauper intruders was carried out for years with rigour, and often at considerable expense and trouble. In 1728 a large meeting again adopted stringent measures, and appointed "two proper persons" (other than usual officers) to attend sessions, remove intruders, and inspect other neglected affairs; they were to meet four times yearly, viz., "the last hey-day in December, the last hey-day in March, June and September, or pay a fine of one shilling." About this time the country round was devastated by some epidemic, probably small-pox, which for two or three years more than doubled the death-rate. In Inkberrow about thirty to thirty-five funerals took place annually, but during 1727, 1728, 1729, the number averaged nearly ninety per annum. The register of Great Hampton calls 1728, "Lethifer Annus ;" and the register of Flyford Flavel (three and a half miles from Inkberrow) says of the same year, "Remarkable for a Mortality in this Parish more yn Ordinary, which may be in ome sense term'd an Æra noted to Posterity." This epidemic, no doubt, much increased the rates and pauperism. The population was now practically divided into two main classes, viz., the class that paid the rates, and the class that was maintained by the rates. It would seem that almost the whole of the labouring class received relief. The increased rates caused the farmers to lower wages, and thus caused increased demand for relief. A further rise in the rates led the employers of labour to do with less men. We see by the order "for disposal to service" in 1711, that the overseers found employment for some of those in receipt of parish help. This system increased to such an extent that the farmers applied to the overseers for their necessary labour, and the scale of relief regulated the rate of wages. In 1774, "a publick Vestory held at the Parish Church agreed to pay the labourers doing duty in proportion to their need or great famelys at the discretion of the overseers ;" and in 1799, "at a Vestry Meeting, the majority agreed to imploy the labouring men of the Parish (who may want employment) one days work to twenty pounds a year (according as they are rated to the poors rates) and to pay each of them 8d. a day. And the Overseers of the Poor to pay each of them 4d. per day over and above, which makes is. per day." As recently as 1832: "Agreed to employ one labourer to every 50 acres of land, providing the whole of the paymasters agree to the same measure in the parish." These arrangements merely supplemented the general system of relief, which

is set forth in the details of the accounts. For the last half of the eighteenth century nearly every payment must have been entered, e.g., gave Sarah Baylis to buy her a shift, 35.; paid for a shroud for Sol. Morris' child, Is. 3d.; paid for bleeding Geo. Ballard, 6d. ; paid at Lightfoot's wife's groaning, midwife, and other expenses, 10s. 8d." (these are called shouting cases in the north); "paid for the lying. in month, swearing the father, and other charges of Mary Bows, 28s.; paid the widow Tandy for cleaning Hannah Morris, 2s. 6d. ;" &c. &c. There are many entries of payment for coal and kids, the latter meaning faggots of wood. Temporary and extra relief was largely given, as evidenced by such entries as: "Gave Edwd Crook's famely in ilness wt the smallpox, £1. os. 6d; Gave vagabonds in this year, 4s.; Paid Rich Hopkins to make up his wages, 4s. : Paid for a pair of breeches for Sam1 Buggin, 35. ;" &c. &c. In 1775 the vestry agreed that the churchwardens should pay to "a poore person of the parish, to constantly attend Church to keep the door shutt all the winter season and to keep the dogs out of the church every sabboth day." Ten shillings a year was allowed for this duty. The overseers presented their accounts once a month, commencing with the amount disbursed in weekly pay; such pay seems to have varied from is. to 3s. per recipient. The "short and simple annals" of many a poor one can be constructed from these long and complex parish accounts: commencing with some occasional help which developed at last into weekly pay with sporadic additions of fuel, clothes, &c.; perhaps some entry of medical charge; and ending with the details of coffin, shroud, laying out, carrying to churchyard, burial fees, and bread, cheese, and drink at "ye George Inn" or "ye Bull." One man ended several years of relief by being found hanging from a beam in a cart shed: we find set down in detail the charges for the inquest and his burial in four cross roads. His place of interment is still known as Mucklow's grave, though he died in 1775, and the method of his death is a local tradition. We also read of marriages in these accounts, e.g., "fetching Thos Barnbrook to Inkberrow, attendance there, eating, drinking, horses, corn, hay, licence, marriage, taking to Fladbury (his parish), £4. 125. Paid for a ring for Alice Bristo 5s., gave her in money is." This is not an isolated instance, for many others occur. By this means the overseers rid the parish of perhaps a permanent pauper by marrying her to a man in another parish; and if the bride were a widow with children the ultimate gain was great. Of course the man had rendered himself liable to matrimony, or he could not have been dealt with thus. The parish doctor, Mr. Christopher Smith, lived at the village of Feckenham, some three or four miles distant; there