Petitioner doth give you to understand that he was born in Stockton within this county, and has been bred up in the same parish, and most of my time in service; and have taken great pains for my living all my time since I was able, and of late I fortuned to marry with an honest young woman, and my parishioners not willing that I should bring her in the parish, saying we would breed a charge among them. Then I took a house in Bewdley, and there my wife doth yet dwell and in confines thereabouts, and I send or bring my wife the best relief I am able, and now the parish of Bewdley will not suffer her to dwell there for doubt of further charge. Right worshipful, I most humbly crave your good aid and help in this my distress, or else my poor wife and child are like to perish without the doors. And this, right worshipful, I do humbly crave, that by your good help and order to the parish of Stockton I may have a house there to bring my wife and child unto, that I may help them the best I can.
11. Letter from Privy Council to Justices of Cloth-making Counties[299] [Privy Council Register, Feb. 9th, 1621-2], 1621-2.
We do hereby require you to call before you such clothiers as you shall think fitting, and to deal effectually with them for the employment of such weavers, spinners and other persons as are now out of work, where we may not omit to let you know, that as we have employed our best endeavours in favour of the clothiers both for the vent of their cloth and for moderation in the price of wool (of which we hope they shall speedily find the effects), so may we not endure that the clothiers in that or any other county should at their pleasure, and without giving knowledge thereof unto this Board, dismiss their workfolks, who, being many in number and most of them of the poorer sort, are in such cases likely by their clamours to disturb the quiet and government of those parts wherein they live. And if there shall be found greater numbers of poor people than the clothiers can receive and employ, we think it fit and accordingly require you to take order for putting the statute in execution, whereby there is provision made in that behalf by raising of public stocks for the employment of such in that trade as want work. Wherein if any clothier shall after sufficient warning refuse or neglect to appear before you, or otherwise shall obstinately deny to yield to such overtures in this case as shall be reasonable and just, you shall take good bonds of them for refusing to appear before us, and immediately certify their names unto this Board ...; this being the rule by which both the woolgrower, the clothier and merchant must be governed, that whosoever had a part of the gain in profitable times since his Majesty's happy reign, must now in the decay of trade ... bear a part of the public losses as may best conduce to the good of the public and the maintenance of the general trade.
[299] Quoted Leonard, Early History of English Poor Relief, pp. 147-8.
12. Letter from Privy Council to the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace in the Counties of Suffolk and Essex concerning the employment of the Poor[300] [Privy Council Register, Chas. I, Vol. V, f. 263], 1629.
Whereas we by special directions of his Majesty did lately commend unto your care the present state of those parts of your county where the poor clothiers and their workmen at present destitute of work might some other way be employed or for the time be relieved till some obstructions to trade were removed, as also to keep in order those that are loose and ill disposed people; to which end his Majesty, by advice of his Privy Council and the Judges, hath lately published a proclamation declaring his pleasure and command in what manner the truly poor and impotent should be relieved, those of able bodies should be set on work and employed in honest labour, and the sturdy, idle and dangerous rogues and vagabonds should be repressed and punished, which proclamation you shall herewith likewise receive; now, because we understand that in your county there is more than ordinary occasion to use all diligence and industry at this time, we have thought fit to put you more particularly in mind thereof, and in answer of your letters to let you know that it is the resolution of all the judges, that by the law you have sufficient power and ought to raise means out of the several parishes, if they be of ability, or otherwise in their defect, in their several hundreds, lathes or wapentakes, and for want of their ability (to set your poor on work and to relieve the aged and impotent not able to work) in the whole body of the county; wherefore his Majesty commands that the ways provided by law in these cases be duly followed with all diligence and possible speed. You are required to understand the true state of the country from the ministers, churchwardens and overseers of the several parishes within your several divisions. And what rests herein to be done by order at the quarter sessions, the judges advise that for this purpose you may call the quarter sessions sooner then the ordinary set times, and do that which in this case is so requisite.
Further we let you to know, that such hath been his Majesty's care and personal pains taken to remove these impediments that of late have been to trade, and to open a free vent to the commodities of your country, that yourselves will shortly see the fruits of it to your comforts; nevertheless in the meantime these things provided by the law, and the helps that by your care may be added, are in no sort to be neglected, but exactly pursued; of which your proceedings we, are to be advertised that so we may render account thereof to his Majesty.
And so, etc.
[300] Quoted Leonard, Early History of English Poor Relief, pp. 336-7.
13. The Licensing of Badgers in Somersetshire [Somerset Quarter Sessions Records, Vol. 24, p. 120], 1630.