It would certainly not be the great Reform Act. In this period there were
enormous number of Acts of Parliament, not only the normal Public and
General series with which we are familiar today, but also Local Acts
(including those for Inclosure, Railways, Canals, and Turnpikes) and
Personal. I suspect in this case it is probably a Public one that was
concerned with the reform of the Poor Law. The cottages in question sound
as if they were a parish Workhouse. At about this period parishes were
grouped together into Unions so as to administer the Poor Law and the Unions
built new Workhouses, some of which later became hospitals. I regret that
I am weak on the chronology of Poor Law reform. The former workhouse whose
fate I know of actually belonged to a charity, rather than to the Parish and
was the subject of a scheme under which the endowment reverted to charitable
purposes, and continues to provide assistance to elderly people in need to
this day.
Peter King,
49, Stourbridge Road,
Hagley,
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY9 0QS
telephone 01562-720368
----- Original Message -----
From: E & R Shanahan <[log in to unmask]>
To: Peter Wickham King <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 17 February 2003 00:24
Subject: Acts of Parliament around 1832
> It has been very quiet on the list of late, so I have a question for
members
> We have a letter dated 1832 and it has this paragraph
>
> quote
> I ought to have written to you before this time as to the proposed
purchase
> of three cottages belonging to the parish of Swinstead, formerly such
> property could not be sold but by a late Act of Parliament the
> Churchwardens and Overseers are authorised by the directions of a Vestry
> and with the consent of two Justices of the peace to sell any Work or
other
> house belonging to the parish. Lord Willoughby can therefore have a
> complete title under this Act to the houses in question.
> Unquote
>
> So my question is :-
> Which 'late Act of Parliament' would have covered this subject, and how
> on earth would I go about finding out, apart from asking the
knowledgeable
> members of this list?
> I wondered if it might have been the 1832 Reform Act, but from what I
> remembered of that it was more the next level of government, rather than
> Parish Councils. Has anyone any ideas please?
>
> Eunice in Queensland.
>
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