Poor relief petition, Yorkshire

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0096 MS 697
Held at	: Senate House Library, University of London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/our-collections ›
Full title	: Poor relief petition, Yorkshire
Date(s)	: nd [c1720]
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 2 leaves
Name of creator(s)	: Parishioners of Cantley, Yorkshire
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

From the 16th century onwards, Justices of the Peace dealt with the administration of the Poor Law, and, following the Poor Law Act in 1601, had responsibility for appointing the overseers for each parish. Overseers of the poor were appointed annually and were responsible to ensure the sick, needy poor and aged were assisted either in money or in kind, distribution of which took place in the Vestry of the Parish Church.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Petition, [1720?], to the justices of the peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire on behalf of Abraham Bean, a farmer of the parish of Cantley, near Doncaster, and signed by John Fox, Vicar of Cantley, Samuel Crabtree, William Morehouse and John Leetham, parishioners. The petition 'Sheweth That your Petitioner is an honest and labourious Person And hath maintain'd himself and family (since he had one) reputably on a Small Farm in This Parish...', and appeals for further aid - the Justices had granted £10 immediate relief the previous August at Rotherham. He had lost 16 head of 'Great Cattle' in the winter, and his house had been burned down. Both he and his wife had suffered from burns, and they and their two children had been forced to enter an alms house 'and are there now barely kept from starving by the Parish'. A note is added at the foot: '29 1. as Charity to be paid by the Treasurer'.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Single item.

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Finding aids:

Collection level description.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Bought from Jabez Elliott in 1966.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Nov 2001