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Lack of (National) Compassion

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26/01/1861

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During a recent spell of very bad weather, the Guardians of the Peterborough Poor Law Union had granted temporary outdoor relief to some able-bodied agricultural labourers who had been unable to work through no fault of their own. as a result, the National Board had requested that they be furnished with a statement showing the number of persons relieved that were at variance to the General Prohibitory Order. They also requested particulars of the number of persons in each family and the amount of relief that had been afforded. At this Saturday's meeting of the Board of Governors of the Peterborough Poor Law Union, the clerk read a letter that had come from the National Poor Law Board. It stated that 'having regard to the accommodation afforded by the workhouse, and to the number of inmates therein, the Board thought it desirable that the Guardians should, in future, should offer to relieve the necessities of this class of person in the workhouse. They should apply that test of destitution so long as circumstances permitted with regards to each application.' In other words, 'rules is rules', and using common sense and compassion are not allowed. (Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

Feoffees , Meat

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Did the Feoffees Eat Horse Meat?

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1630

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The Feoffees were a group of men who oversaw the administration of money collected and distributed to the deserving poor. They also ensured that the city was in good running order.

They were selected from the upper echelons of Peterborough society and represented the city. This meant that they provided hospitality to other dignitaries and travelled to meet them. Their account books have examples of some of the expenses they occurred.

In 1630 it appears that some of the men travelled to Stamford. References were made to food and drink consumed, including venison (deer meat). One curious sentence reads:

For our horsmeate at Stamford and given to thosler - 6d

Thosler would translate as 'the ostler' and seventeenth century ostlers cared for horses, but what have they paid him six pence for? Horse meat looks like the obvious answer, but even in the seventeenth century, eating horse meat was frowned upon because they were such valuable animals. Furthermore they would buy meat from a butcher, not an ostler. It is more likely to be a payment for food, drink and possibly stabling for their horses whilst they were in Stamford. However, it is possible that the Feoffees enjoyed a 'mane' course that was a little different.

Reference

W. T. Mellows, Minutes and Accounts of the Feoffees and Governors of the City Lands with Supplementary Documents, Northamptonshire Record Society, 1937, p67

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Feoffees , Meat

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