THE PARISH WELFARE SYSTEM
Before the National Health Service
from
an article written for the Linkinhorne Parish Magazine 'Link' December 2002
In
these days of the National Health Service when everyone has the freedom to move
where they want it is hard to think back to earlier times when the NHS did not
exist. Prior to the start of the 20th century the parish itself was
the unit of local government administered by a system of untrained officials
chosen from the farmers and artisans of the parish.
From
as early as the 16th century there existed a system where the parish
cared for their own. Amongst the
parish officials were usually:-
Two
Church Wardens who were responsible for the church and churchyard, parish
charities, parish cottages, exterminating vermin etc. and they also kept an eye
on the moral and religious welfare of parishioners.
Two
Overseers of the Poor who looked after the secular welfare of the parish,
highways, bridges, watercourses and poor people.
There
was also often a parish constable or two.
The
Overseers were responsible for setting the rate each year, which was charged
according to the value of the property and was therefore only paid by landowners
or tenants of land. Being ratepayers themselves the Overseers would not want to
set too high a rate as they were also well aware that at some time in their old
age they might need assistance themselves, so it would not be good policy to be
too harsh. They also had the advantage of knowing the parish intimately and
would be able to calculate next years rent knowing there would be Mary Brown’s
bastard child to care for and Mrs Jones husband who was dying of consumption and
would leave her and her family widowed.
Linkinhorne
is fortunate in having a complete list of Overseers of the poor from 1637 to
1838 and the same surnames keep appearing over the centuries. It is also likely
that due to the minerals in the parish the rate was low as in some extracts
taken from early Overseers Accounts we have this entry occurring regularly:-
1661
About ye 29th September 1661 Edward Kneebone Gent. Brought in for
farm tyn out of Newland Mine it was forthwith distributed amongst ye poor ye sum
of £2 – 15 - 0
As
today, not everyone was keen to pay their rates and in March 1862 the Cornish
Times reported that Richard Bolitho
of Linkinhorne was summonsed by the Waywardens of the same
parish for non-payment of Water Rates, and also by the Overseers for non-payment
of the Poor Rate. Order made in each case and for the costs.
However
the parish were very concerned that they would only support their own, or people
who had a right of settlement within the parish. Artisans and yeomen who had
some money and obviously would not be a drain on a parish (and would contribute
to the rate) could move freely, but not so the poor. Amongst the poor were
several groups of people likely to need relief, the sick (either short or long
term), this excluded the insane who were usually locked away; widows and their
children, orphans, unemployed able bodied residents and temporary residents or
wanderers.
Right
of settlement was extended to all residents born in the parish of settled
parents; buying or renting property of £10 or more, being apprenticed to an
artisan of the parish and serving the full apprenticeship (7 years+); being
hired by settled residents for more than 365 days. The overseer were always very
active in making sure that anyone likely to be a drain on parish resources was
forthwith returned to their parish if they had no right of settlement.
Unfortunately
the Overseers Accounts for Linkinhorne have not survived but some extracts can
be quoted from other sources. In 1741 the Quarter Session records show:
Appeal of North Hill against order of 4 Aug. for
removal of Walter Spridle, wife Elianor Spridle and Rebecca Harfoot his daughter
in law, from Linkinhorne to North Hill: order reversed, Linkinhorne to pay North
Hill costs. (These cases would
often see-saw between parishes for months)
1758. Mary Crews to be discharged from Bridewell and
passed to Linkinhorne, her last place of legal settlement.
Illegitimate children were a constant problem and
the Overseers were always hot in pursuit of the alleged father to get him to pay
for the upkeep of the child. Only two bastardy orders for Linkinhorne have
survived and these give details of the interrogation of the mother. In 1791
Charity Sargent declared that Henry Coumbe a labourer of Linkinhorne was father
of her child and he was bound over for the sum of £100 to pay for the support
of the bastard child. However he was obviously not that repentant as in 1793 he
was in court again and bound over to pay for the support of the bastard child of
Elizabeth Stephens.
In
the next century there are frequent newspaper reports for Callington Petty
Sessions, this one is for 1862; William
Allen
of Dunsleigh Linkinhorne was summonsed by Mary Ann Hog
of the same parish for being the father of her bastard child.
Mr Peter for defendant. The case was clearly made out and an order for 1s 6d per
week was made.
If
the father could not be found or made to pay for the child the cost would fall
to the rates, but as soon as the child was 7 years old it would be apprenticed.
This might be to a craft but equally could be as a farm or domestic labourer.
Overseers might not be too particular as the main object was to relieve the
parish of the cost.
Vagrants
or wanderers were dealt with very harshly and in the quarter session records
from 1784-1788 we have note of John Olver; in custody for wandering and begging in
Linkinhorne, he was discharged, but Joseph
Edgcombe, of South Hill was in Bridewell as a vagrant and was sentenced
to a public whipping.
Unfortunately as the
records are missing we have no information about the payments made to the poor
and sick but they would include small sums to assist with winter fuel, house
rent, clothes. The old were expected to continue to earn a living until they
were unable to do so, at which point they would be supported by the parish. The
only record we have of these elderly and sick people is the word ‘pauper’ by
the side of the burial entry.
On the whole this parish
welfare system worked well. Those that had a secure position in life paid for
those that did not. The poor were assured assistance from their parish at times
of need, the elderly were
maintained in their own homes until the end, when they were guaranteed a descent
burial the parish church yard.
It was not until the early
19th century when the working population became more mobile that the
system started to break down. This particularly happened in Linkinhorne with the
influx of large numbers of miners and their families. Unions and Workhouses came
into being although the parish did to a certain extent continue to look after
their own until the end of the century, but that will have to wait until another
article is written as the 19th century was a period of profound
change for this parish.
Lynda Small