Part 12

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 directs, 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 considered 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 alter’d 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 certify 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 cloth, lodge, and feed them well, with the same Sum of Money which was distributed among them when they beg’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 loose 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 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 Public 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 offer’d, 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 reliev’d 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 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 not requiring 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.