Deciphering 250-year-old parish documents can be a challenge even though they were no longer written in Latin. Some are torn, crumpled scraps of paper with very faded writing. All of them have letters written differently to the modern day plus abbreviations which take some figuring out. Handwriting style varies a lot as you might expect… Continue reading So, what’s a Challerpoy then?
Tag: Parish Chest
Caring for the needy – Part Three
In 1834 the system for poor relief in England and Wales was completely changed by the Poor Law Amendment Act, also known as the New Poor Law. The Parish was no longer allowed to provide out-relief i.e. help out the poor with financial help. Relief would only be given in workhouses and, furthermore, it was… Continue reading Caring for the needy – Part Three
Caring for the needy – Part Two
A similar fate to James Conway befell two Waltho children, William and Jane, at even younger ages. Richard Waltho from Armitage had married Hannah Cox in Hamstall Ridware in 1785 and they had a son and a daughter in Hamstall Ridware. By 1791 the family was living in Armitage and reliant on poor relief as… Continue reading Caring for the needy – Part Two
Caring for the needy – Part One
In the 16th C there was no formalised practice for relief of the poor but the Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 began a long process of setting up a legal requirement for helping the needy of each and every Parish in England and Wales. One of the first principles established was that… Continue reading Caring for the needy – Part One