Winslow History | Vestry, 1839

Vestry, 2 January 1839

Centre for Bucks Studies, PR237/8/1

At a Vestry Meeting held at the Vestry Room at Church on Wednesday 2nd January 1839.

Present The Revd Thos Henry Walpole, Mr John Cowley, Mr D.T. Willis, George Mayne, John Dover, S. G. Dudley, Thomas Lomath, Richard Allen, Alfred Barton, John Bull.

The consideration of the list of persons claiming to participate in the occupation of the poor’s land was adjourned to this day week at 6 o’clock.

Mr Morrison having attended the Vestry it was mutually agreed that the time for finally arranging as to his continuing as Policeman should be postponed for another month in consequence of his ill health having preventing his attending to his duties in person.

Vestry, 9 January 1839

At a vestry held by adjournment at the Vestry Room at Church on Wednesday 9th January 1839.

Present The Revd Thomas Henry Walpole, Vicar, Chairman, Mr Saml G Dudley, Mr John Cowley, D T Willis, Daniel Grace, John Dover, John Bull, George Mayne, Alfred Barton, Grant King, Thomas Lomath.

It was agreed that all of persons who had claimed to participate in the occupation of the poors land as appears in the list as prepared by Mr Abbott be allowed to do so.

Resolved that at the end of five years a fresh allotment of the land among the poor shall take place.

Resolved that all the male paupers be required (except in case of sickness or infirmity) to cultivate their own allotments, if they neglected so to do or any of them be convicted before a Magistrate of stealing from either of the other allotments, their portion to be forfeited and either let or allotted to other paupers by the parish officers.

Vestry, 23 October 1839

At a meeting of the ratepayers of the parish of Winslow held at the Vestry room in the Church on Wednesday the twenty third day of October 1839 pursuant to public notice duly given for this purpose of the inspectors appointed in pursuance of an act of parliament passed in the session held in the third and fourth year of the reign of King William the fourth for the lighting and watching of the parishes in England and Wales producing their accounts and vouchers for the past year and for the election of inspectors for the execution of the said act and for determining the amount of the money to be raised for the purpose of the said act for the current year.

Present

Samuel Greaves Dudley, Churchwarden, in the chair William Selby Lowndes Junr Esquire

Messr John Cowley, John St Thomas Wynter, David Thomas Willis, John Dover, John Bull, Edward Cooper Flowers, Alfred Barton, George Cross Senr, George Cross Junr, Thomas Lomath, James Morgan, Joshua Lewin French, Giles Dickens, Robert Corbett, James Hawley, Richard Allen, Joseph Grace [blank] Jackman Widow, ~~Joseph Grace~~ Emmanuel Roads, William Seaton, John Brownett, Mark Bunce, William Soden, Francis Warner, Robt Williatt Jones, Grant King, John Abbott, John Bathe, John Simons, William Henry Lomath, William Jackman, James Hazzard, John Mayne, William Punn, Richard Sharp, John Craker, Henry Sellar, Henry Jennings, Charles Keys, Thomas Allen, Thomas Viccars, Joseph King (Windmill) George Roads, Thomas Roads

The Inspectors Accounts for the last year having been produced and read as well as the vouchers in support of the same it was proposed by Mr D.T. Willis seconded by Mr John Dover and resolved that the said accounts be allowed and confirmed.

Resolved that Messrs John Bull, George West and Alfred Barton three of the inspectors for the last year should go out of office

Resolved unanimously that Messrs John Bull, George West and Alfred Barton be re-elected Inspectors for the year ensuing

Proposed by Mr D.T. Willis seconded by Mr Cross Junr and resolved That any sum not exceeding sixty five pounds be raised for the purposes of the act in the ensuing year at the direction of the inspectors exclusive of the amount not ordered or called for out of the amount allowed last year.

[signed] Saml G Dudley, Chairman

Notes

The Vestry performed some of the functions later taken over by parish and district councils. All ratepayers could attend, not only Anglicans, and in this case there was one woman present, something which doesn't seem to have been repeated. Functions under the Lighting & Watching Act included street lighting and rudimentary policing (the minutes of 2 Jan 1839 refer to a policeman named Morrison who had been too ill to carry out his duties).