Governor, or in his Default, the said Deputy-Governor, or in both
their Defaults, Six of the said Assistants for the time being, shall
have, and hereby have Power and Authority, and are hereby Enjoyned
and Required from time to time, upon the Second _Thursday_ in every
Second Month in every Year, accounting _January_ for the First Month,
to hold and keep a Court or Assembly of the said Corporation within
the said City of _Bristoll_, of One and Twenty of the said Guardians
at least, on the Days and Time, and in manner, and for the ends in
this Act mentioned; (that is to say) The said Governor shall hold the
said Court or Assembly between the Hours of One and Two in the
Afternoon; and in his Default, the said Deputy-Governor, or any Six
of the said Assistants, shall, after the Hour of Two, hold the same;
And also, the said Governor for the time being, shall have, and
hereby hath Power and Authority, at any such other time or times as
to him shall seem meet, to Summon, Assemble and Hold a Court or
Assembly of the said Corporation, upon Two Days Notice or Warning at
the least to be given of such Court or Assembly to be held; And in
case any Twenty of the said Guardians, upon any Emergency, signifying
it under their Hands to the Governor for the time being, That it is
their Desire that an Extraordinary Court or Assembly of the said
Corporation may be Called and Held, the said Governor shall be Bound,
and is hereby Enjoyned and Required to Call and Hold such Court or
Assembly at such time as the said Twenty Guardians shall so desire;
and on his Refusal, the said Deputy-Governor for the time being, on
such signification, shall be Bound, and is hereby likewise Enjoyned
and Required to Call and Hold the said Court or Assembly, and on his
Refusal, any Six of the said Assistants shall have, and hereby have
Authority to Call and Hold the said Court or Assembly; at all which
Courts or Assemblies all and every Member and Members of the said
Corporation for the time being, are hereby Enjoyned to appear and be
present, and not to depart from the same without the Licence of the
said Court or Assembly, on pain to Forfeit such reasonable Sum and
Sums of Money, not exceeding Five Shillings, to the Use of the said
Corporation, as by the said Court or Assembly, or any succeeding
Court or Assembly, shall be Assessed upon them, unless they can shew
some reasonable Excuse to be Allowed of by the said Court or
Assembly; And the said Court or Assembly are hereby Impowered to
Summon to appear before them any of the Inhabitants of the said City
to answer to Matters relating to the said Corporation, who are hereby
Required to appear upon such Summons, and answer such Questions, on
Forfeiture, to the Use of the said Corporation, of a Sum not
exceeding Two Shillings and Six Pence for every Default to be Levied
as is herein after directed.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, Thar the said
Corporation, at the said Court or Assembly, shall have, and hereby
have Power and Authority from time to time to make and appoint a
Common Seal or Seals for the Use of the said Corporation, and to Make
and Ordain By-Laws, Rules and Ordinances for and concerning the
better Governing the said Corporation, and the Poor of the said City,
and shall have, and have hereby Power to Purchase, Buy or Erect an
Hospital or Hospitals, Work-house or Work-houses, House or Houses of
Correction, and to Provide what other Necessaries they shall think
convenient for the Setting to Work the Poor of the said City, of what
Sex or Age soever they be, and shall have, and hereby have Power and
Authority to Compel such Idle or Poor People begging or seeking
Relief, who do not betake themselves to some lawful Imployments, and
such other Poor who do or shall hereafter Receive Alms of the
respective Parishes or Places where they Inhabit or Seek the same, or
by any of the Laws now in force ought to be Maintained or Provided
for by any Parish or Place within the said City, to Dwell and Inhabit
in such Hospital or Hospitals, Work-house or Work-houses, and to do
such Work as they shall think them Able and Fit for; and to detain
and keep in the Service of the said Corporation, until the Age of
Sixteen Years, any Poor Child or Children of the said City, left to
be Maintained by the said City, or any Parish or Place in the same,
or begging or seeking Relief, or which by any of the Laws now in
force ought to be Maintained and Provided for by any Parish or Place
within the said City, or the Child or Children of any other Person or
Persons, that are or shall be willing or desirous to place or put
their Child or Children in such Hospital or Hospitals, until their
said Age of Sixteen Years; and after they shall have attained their
said Age of Sixteen Years or sooner, the said Corporation, by
Indenture, shall have Power to Bind and Put forth such Child or
Children Apprentices, to any Honest Person or Persons within the
Kingdom of _England_, for any Number of Years, not exceeding Seven
Years, as they shall think convenient; which Indenture shall be
binding to such Child or Children.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said
Court or Assembly so Constituted, as aforesaid, shall have, and
hereby have Power to inflict such reasonable Correction and
Punishment on any Poor Person or Persons within the said Hospital or
Hospitals, Work-house or Work-houses, House or Houses of Correction,
that shall not conform to such Rules, Orders and Ordinances so made,
as aforesaid, or misbehave themselves in the same; And that the said
Court or Assembly so Constituted, as aforesaid, shall have, and
hereby have Power to appoint a Committee to consist of One and Twenty
of the Guardians at the least, who, or any Five of them, of which Two
shall be Assistants, shall from time to time, or at any time until
the next Court, have Power to inflict such reasonable Correction and
Punishment, as aforesaid, on any such Poor Person or Persons
offending, as aforesaid.
And for the better Carrying on so Pious and Charitable a Work, be it
Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be Lawfull
for the said Corporation, in their said Courts or Assemblies, from
time to time, to set down and ascertain what Sum, or Sums of Money
shall be needful for the Building and Erecting of such Hospitals,
Work-houses, or Houses of Correction, so that the same do not exceed
the Sum of Five Thousand Pounds, to be raised within the Space of
Three Years, or any longer time, as to them shall seem meet, by such
Quarterly or other Payments, as they in their discretion shall think
fit; And also from time to time, to Set down and Ascertain what
Weekly, Monthly, or other Sums, shall be needful for the Maintenance
of the Poor in the said Hospital or Hospitals, Work-house or
Work-houses, House or Houses of Correction, or within the Care of the
said Corporation, so that the same do not exceed what hath been Paid
in the said City towards the Maintenance of the Poor thereof, in any
one of the Three last Years; And shall and may, under their Common
Seal, certify the same unto the Mayor and Aldermen of the said City
for the time being; which said Mayor and any Two of the Aldermen, or
any Five of the said Aldermen without the Mayor, may and are hereby
Required from time to time, to cause the same to be Raised and Levied
by Taxation of every Inhabitant, and of all Lands, Houses, Tythes
Impropriate, Appropriation of Tythes, and all Stocks and Estates in
the said City and County of the same, in equal Proportion, according
to their respective Worth and Values: And in order thereunto, the
said Mayor and any Two of the said Aldermen, or any Five of the said
Aldermen without the Mayor, shall have power, and are hereby required
indifferently, to proportion out the said Sum and Sums upon each
Parish and Precinct within the said City, and by their Warrants under
their Hands and Seals to Authorize and Require the Church-wardens and
Overseers of the Poor of each respective Parish and Precinct, to
Assess the same respectively; And after such Assessment made, by like
Warrant under their Hands and Seals, to Authorize the said respective
Church-wardens and Overseers to Demand, Gather, and Receive the same,
and for Non-payment thereof (being Lawfully Demanded) to Levy the
same by Distress and Sale of the Goods of the Offender, restoring the
Surplusage to the Party so Distrained; And if no Distress can be
found, then it shall and may be Lawful to and for the said Mayor, and
any Two of the Aldermen, or any Five of the said Aldermen without the
Mayor, to commit such Offender to Prison, there to remain without
Bail or Mainprize, till the same shall be Paid: And after the same
shall be Received, to Pay the same unto the Treasurer of the said
Corporation for the time being. Provided always, That if any Person
or Persons, Parish or Precinct, find him or themselves to be
unequally Taxed or Assessed, he or they may Appeal to the Justices of
the Peace of the said City and County, at their next General
Quarter-Sessions after such Assessment made and demanded, who shall
and hereby have full Power and Authority, to take and make a final
Order therein.
And for the Encouragement of such as shall be Benefactors to so good
a Design, Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Man
charitably disposed, shall give One hundred Pounds, or more, towards
carrying on the said Work, It shall and may be Lawful for the said
Corporation, at a Court where there shall be present Three and thirty
of the said Guardians at the least, to elect and constitute such
Charitable Person to be Guardian of the Poor of the said City, and to
continue in the said Office, as long as to the said Corporation shall
seem meet.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said
Corporation shall have the Care of, and provide for the Maintenance
of all the Poor of the said City, of what Age or Kind soever they be,
except such as shall be otherwise sufficiently Provided for by the
charitable Gifts of other Persons, or in Hospitals or Almshouses
within the said City already Erected: And in order thereunto shall
have full Power to Examine, Search and See what Poor Persons there
are come into, Inhabiting and Residing within the said City or any
Part thereof; And shall have Power to Apprehend or cause to be
Apprehended any Rogues, Vagrants, or Sturdy-Beggars, or Idle or
Disorderly Persons within the said City and the County thereof, and
to cause them to be kept and set to Work in the said Work-houses,
Hospitals or Houses of Correction, for the Space of Three Years.
Provided always, and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That
this Act, or any thing herein contained, shall not any ways extend to
give the said Corporation any Power or Authority over any Almshouse,
or Hospital, or any other Charitable Gift or Use, within the said
City, already Given, Settled or Erected, but that the same shall be
wholly exempted therefrom; Any thing herein to the Contrary
notwithstanding.
And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said
Corporation in their said Court or Assembly, shall have hereby Power
to choose and entertain all such other Officers as shall be needful
to be employed in and about the Premisses, and them or any of them,
from time to time to remove as they shall see Cause; and upon the
Death or Removal of them, or any of them, to choose others in their
Place, and to make and give such reasonable Allowances to them, or
any of them, out of the Stock or Revenue belonging to the said
Corporation or Hospitals, as they shall think fit.
Provided always, and be it further Enacted by the Authority
aforesaid, That no Officer or Officers, who shall be Elected, chosen,
Appointed or Employ’d, in the Execution of, or by Virtue of this
Act, or any of the Powers or Authorities thereby given, shall be
liable for or by reason of such Office or Execution, to any of the
Penalties mentioned in an Act made the Five and Twentieth Year of the
Reign of King _Charles_ the Second, for the Preventing the Dangers
which may happen from Popish Recusants.
And it is further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said
Treasurer for the Time being, and all other Officers belonging to the
said Corporation, Hospitals, Work-houses, or Houses of Correction,
shall, from time to time, before such Person or Persons as the said
Corporation shall thereto appoint, account for such Moneys, Stock,
and other Things belonging to the said Corporation, Hospitals,
Work-houses, or Houses of Correction, as shall come to their
respective Hands, or be under their respective Care, upon every
reasonable Warning and Notice thereof, by the said Corporation to
them respectively given; And on their Neglect or Refusal to Account,
as aforesaid, shall or may be, by the said Mayor, or any Two of the
said Aldermen, committed to the County Goal for the said City and
County of _Bristoll_, there to remain without Bail or Mainprize,
until they shall become conformable, and Account, as aforesaid; And
if upon such Account there shall appear any Thing to be in their
Hands belonging to the said Corporation, Hospitals, Work-houses, or
Houses of Correction, they shall Pay and Deliver the same, as the
said Corporation shall direct, or give such Security for the same, as
the said Corporation shall approve of, on pain to forfeit Double the
Value thereof, to be Recovered by the said Corporation, by Action of
Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information in which no Protection, Essoign, or
Wager in Law, or any more than One Imparlance, shall be admitted or
allowed.
And it is further Enacted, That all other Pains, Penalties and
Forfeitures by this Act appointed, shall be Levied by Distress and
Sale of the Offenders Goods, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal of
the said Treasurer for the time being, Restoring to the Offender the
Overplus.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any
Person or Persons shall be Sued for any Matter or Thing which he
shall do in Execution of this Act, he may plead the General Issue,
and give the special Matter in Evidence: And if the Verdict shall
pass for the Defendant, or the Plaintiff shall be nonsuited, or
discontinue his Suit, the Defendant shall Recover his Treble Costs.
And this Act shall be Taken and be Allowed in all Courts within this
Kingdom as a Publick Act; And all Judges and Justices are hereby
Requir’d, as such, to take Notice thereof, without specially
Pleading the same; And all Mayors, Justices, Sheriffs, Bayliffs,
Constables, and all other Officers and Ministers of Justice, are
hereby Required to be Aiding and Assisting to the said Corporation,
and to such Officers as shall be employed by them, or any of them, in
Execution of this Act, or any of the Powers or Authorities hereby
given.
AN
ACCOUNT
OF THE
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
Corporation of Bristol,
In Execution of the
Act of Parliament
For the Better
Employing and Maintaining
the
POOR
Of That CITY.
TO THE
Right Honourable
AND
HONOURABLE,
THE
Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
AND
Commons in Parliament
assembled.
May it please your Honours,
I HUMBLY make bold to lay before You an Account of our Proceedings in
the City of _Bristol_, on the Act of Parliament for Erecting
Hospitals and Work-houses for the better Employing and Maintaining
the Poor of that City, which passed in the first Sessions of the
Parliament begun at _Westminster_ the 22d of _November_ 1695. whereby
the Power invested in the Corporation commenced from the 12th of
_May_ 1696.
The first Thing we did was to choose Four Guardians for each of our
Twelve Wards, as the Statute does direct, which, with the Mayor and
Aldermen, amounted to Sixty Guardians, and made up our Court.
The Court being thus constituted, at our first Meeting we chose our
Officers appointed by the said Act, _viz._ a Governor, a
Deputy-Governor, Twelve Assistants, a Treasurer, a Clerk, and a
Beadle.
This being done, we order’d the Guardians who dwelt in each Parish,
to bring in an Account of all the Poor in their respective Parishes,
their Names, Ages, Sexes, and Qualifications. Also an Account of the
Charges expended for maintaining them in each of the last three
Years, that so we might bring it to a _Medium_. We also appointed
certain standing Rules for the better governing our Debates, and
ordered all things done in the Court to be fairly enter’d in a
Journal.
We likewise consider’d which would be most for the advantage of the
Corporation, to build Work-houses, or to purchase such Houses, which
being already built, might be altered and made fit for our purpose.
These things spent much time, and it was about the Month of
_September_ before we could settle the _Medium_ of the Poor’s
Rates, in order to certifie to the Mayor and Aldermen what Sum was
necessary to be Raised on the City for the next Year.
But here we met with an unexpected _Remora_, Mr. _Samuel Wallis_ was
succeeded in his Majoralty by Mr. _J. H._ and this Change made a
great Alteration in our Affairs: For whereas the former had given us
all the Incouragement we could expect from him, and had done us the
honour to be our first Governor, the latter resolved to obstruct us
all he could. And because the power of raising Money was vested in
him and the Aldermen, he absolutely refused to put that Power in
Execution.
This, together with his other Endeavours to Brow-beat the
Corporation, kept us at a stand till _October_ (97.) only our Court
met, and discourst things, and we laboured to keep up the Spirits of
our Friends, who began to sink under these Discouragements, and to
despair of Success, the Work seeming difficult enough in it self; our
undertaking being nothing less, then to put to Work a great Number of
People, many of which had been habited to Laziness and Beggary; to
civilize such as had been bred up in all the Vices that want of
Education could expose them to; and to Clothe, Lodge, and feed them
well, with the same Sum of Money which was distributed among them
when they begg’d, lay in the Streets, and went almost naked.
Yet all this would not have discouraged us, could we have prevailed
on Mr. Mayor to have joyned with us. We often sought it, and he as
often refused us, till his time being expired, his Successor granted
our Request; and then, having lost much time, we were forced to make
large steps.
The first we made was, a Vote to take on us the Care of the Poor of
the City; and as I remember, this Vote passed in _October_ or
_November_ 1697. though we had then no Money raised, nor could we
expect any till after our _Lady-day_ 1698. So that from the passing
that Vote to this time is about two Years.
The next step was to appoint a Committee of Twelve to hear the
Complaints of the Poor, to relieve them, and set them at work; Six
whereof were to go out every Month, and to be succeeded by Six more,
to be chosen by Ballating.
We had formerly obtained from the Mayor and Common Council, in the
Majoralty of Alderman _Wallis_, the Grant of a Work-house, which then
lay unoccupied, and the Court had appointed a Committee to place as
many Girls in it as it would conveniently contain, both as to Lodging
and Working. This is that we called the _New work-house_.
But all things having stood still so long, we resolved now to lose no
more time; yet we had no Money, nor could we expect any in less than
Six Months, from the Poor’s Rates; therefore we resolved to make
our several Loans for Twelve Months without Interest to the
Corporation on the Credit of their Common Seal; in which Design many
of the Citizens lent their Assistance, whereby we became soon Masters
of about Six Hundred Pounds Stock. Likewise our Guardians, who were
appointed to pay the Poor in their several Parishes, voluntarily
advanced their weekly Payments, till they could be reimburst by the
Treasurer. The other Stock we Employed to furnish Beds and other
Necessaries for our House, Clothes and Provisions for our Children
to be taken in, and Materials for their Working.
We had now Two Committees; one for the Poor, the other for the New
Work-house.
The Committee for the Poor met twice every Week: And in this
Committee we proceeded thus;
_First_, We Voted that the Poor of the City should be visited in
their respective Parishes, and that new Poor’s Rates should be
made; and accordingly we ordered the Guardians of each Parish to
bring together the Poor on a certain day in some convenient Place,
where the Committee met, and without Partiality endeavoured to
provide for every one according to their Wants, We likewise took
notice of all the young Girls that were on our Poor’s Books, and of
such whose Parents took no due Care of them; and these we recommended
to the Committee of the New Work-house, to be taken in, and Employed
by them.
Our Poor’s Rates we made in this manner: Every One that expected
Relief came before us with their whole Families, except such as was
impotent and could not come: In our Books we put down the Name of the
Man, the Woman, and each Child; together with the Qualifications of
all, either as to Age, Health, Civility, &c. what each Person did or
could get by the Week, and in what Employment. We likewise set down
for what Reason the Charity was bestowed, that when that should
cease, or we could find out any other way to provide for it, the
Charity should likewise cease.
Having thus seen the state of all our Poor, and provided for them,
the Committee sat twice a Week in the Publick Court, to hear and
provide for all casual Complaints; which we did in this Manner; We
ordered that the Poor in their respective Parishes, should first
apply themselves to their Guardian or Guardians, who were to relieve
them as they saw fit, till the next Sitting of the Committee, when
they were to bring them up with their Complaints, if they were able
to come; and this we did, lest the Committee (three whereof made a
_Quorum_) should be deceived; who could not be supposed to know the
state of all the Poor in the City, and by this means we had the
Opinion of the Guardian of each Parish; nor could he easily deceive
us, because he brought the Poor with him, and thereby the Committee
became Judges of the Matter laid before them. At these Meetings, care
was taken of the various Cases and Exigencies which offered, and in
all things there was a regard, as much as could be, to put People on
living by their own Labours.
To such as were sick, we gave Warrants to our Physician to visit
them; such as wanted the Assistance of our Surgeons were directed to
them, and all were Relieved till they were able to Work; by which
means the Poor having been well attended, were set at Work again, who
by neglect, might with their Families have been chargeable to the
Corporation; for some we provided Cloaths, for others Work; where we
found People careful, but wanted a Stock to Employ themselves and
their Children, we either lent or gave it; where they wanted Houses,
we either paid the Rent, or became Security for it; where we found
them opprest, we stood by them; where Differences arose, we
endeavoured to compose them; so that in a little time all the
Complaints of the Poor came to this Committee, (which saved our
Magistrates a great deal of trouble) and care was taken that none
went away unheard.
The Committee at first sat twice a Week, but now only once in a
Fortnight; not that we grew slack in the Care of our Poor, but
because their Number being so much abated, by those received into our
several Work-houses, the Business does not require their meeting
oftner.
The other Committee, (_viz._) That for the New Work-house, having
first furnished it in order to receive in the young Girls, began with
such as were recommended to them by the Committee for the Poor; and
this Method hath been generally observed ever since, both by that
Committee, and also by the Committee since chosen for our other
Work-house; not that either of them depends on the other, but because
the first application for Relief is made to the Committee for the
Poor.
But before we took in the Girls, we first considered of proper
Officers to govern them; and these consisted of a Master, whose
Business was to receive in Work, and deliver it out again, and to
keep the Account of the House, &c.
A Mistress, whose Business was to look after the Kitchen and
Lodgings, to provide their Meals at set times, and other things which
related to the Government of the House.
Tutresses to teach them to Spin, under each of which we put Five and
Twenty Girls.
A School-Mistress, to teach them to Read.
Servants in the Kitchen, and for washing, &c. but these we soon
discharged, and caused our biggest Girls to take their Turns every
Week.
We also appointed an old Man to keep the Door, and to carry forth and
fetch in Work, and such kind of Services.
Being thus provided, we received in One Hundred Girls, and set them
to Work at Spinning of Worsted Yarn; all which we first caused to be
stript by the Mistress, Washed, and new Clothed from Head to Foot;
which, together with wholesome Dyet at set Hours, and good Beds to
Lye on, so incouraged the Children, that they willingly betook
themselves to their Work.
We likewise provided for them Apparel for _Sundays_; they went to
Church every Lord’s Day; were taught their Catechisms at home, and
had Prayers twice every Day; we appointed them set Hours for working,
eating, and playing; and gave them leave to walk on the Hills with
their Tutresses, when their Work was over, and the Weather fair; by
which means we won them into Civility, and a love to their Labour.
But we had a great deal of trouble with their Parents, and those who
formerly kept them, who having lost the sweetness of their Pay, did
all they could to set both their Children and others against us; but
this was soon over.
Hitherto things answered above our Expectations; our Children grew
sober, and Worked willingly, but we very much questioned, whether
their Labours at the Rates we were paid, would answer the charge of
their Maintenance; and if not, our great doubt was how we might
advance it, without prejudicing the Manufactures.