Minutes of evidence.

Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Andover Union

Date:: [1846]

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Minutes of evidence. Source: Wellcome Collection.

12/1416 (page 8)

Mr. Ii. Mundy. 24 April 1846. 168. When was it he applied ?—It was some time last October. 169. Do you know his age?—About 58, I think. 170. How many children has he ?—Eight. 171. Are they girls or boys ? —Seven girls and one boy. 172. Is the boy able to work ?—No, he is a cripple. 173. Is one of the girls an idiot?—Ves, 174. He applied to the Board of Guardians for money to buy clothes for his daughter ?—For his second daughter he did. The man was very ill, and had been so for a long time, and had had some allowance from the parish; he had obtained a situation for his second daughter, but had not the means of finding clothes for her; he wanted 25s. for the purpose: he had two stocks of bees, which he sold ; he stated that if it had not been for the bees he should have been starved long since ; and he very reluctantly parted with the two stocks of bees, but that was not sufficient to find clothes : he applied to the Board to be allowed 10 s. to find clothes for her, as she was going to service. 175. He having obtained 15s. by the sale of the bees ?— Yes ; his applica¬ tion was refused, and the consequence was that the girl did not go, and was obliged to go into the house afterwards. 176. Is she now in the union house?—Yes, she was last week. 177. Is he a man of good character ?—Yes. 178. Has he ever worked for you ?—Yes. 179. Did he state before the Board what was the cause of his illness?—He stated he believed it was in consequence of an insufficiency of food, and the medical man said as much. 180. Do you know what wages he was receiving ?—Eight shillings a week I think. 181. Do you know what sort of cottage he lives in ?—-I know the cottage very well; there are two rooms, one up stairs and the other down; they all sleep in one room ; they have but one sleeping room. 182. The whole 10 of the family do you mean sleep in one room ?—Yes. 183. Are they very deficient in bed-clothing ?—Yes; they have three beds, but only two or three blankets. 184. The man was not in the house when he made his application, but ill himself, I understand ?—Yes, very ill; he had been so a long time. 185. If the Board had advanced the 10 s. the girl would have gone to service ?—Yes. 186. And now she is an inmate of the union workhouse ?—Yes. 187. Has the master spoken of her in any way since she has been in the house ? About a fortnight since the master said he never saw a better girl in his life, that she would made an excellent servant. 188. What is her age?—Eighteen, I think. 189. During last winter, did labourers with families of four or five young children apply to the Board for out-door relief ?— Yes. i 90. What did they state to be the reason for the application ?—They stated that it was impossible they could live without some relief; that their earnings were not sufficient to support them. 191. Did they state what their earnings were?—Yes; some 8s. and some 9 s. a week. 192. Do you suppose those applications are entered upon the book ?—I have no doubt they are. 193. Were the applications refused ?—Yes. 194- All the details and particulars of the cases you think are entered ?— The nature of the applications are entered by the relieving officer. 195. Are you aware whether those cases are all entered in the application book with the details of the cases, and the decisions of the Board of Guardians1 —Yes. 196. You are positive they are entered ?—No doubt of it. 197- Chairman.] Is that the practice in every case?—Yes. 198. And the grounds of the decisions, you think, are entered also ?—Yes. 199- Or only that the application was refused ?—Merely that it was refused, I dare say. 20CJ' reasons for the decisions are not given in every case, are they ?— No; 1 thought you meant the nature of the application was entered. The nature of the application is entered, but not the grounds of the refusal. 201. Mr. X