in the easiest way, each parish might borrow a certain part of its quota on the security of its rates, paying interest for it till discharged, which, I trust, would be effected in a very few years, if a moiety of what was saved by the establishment to each parish, compared with preceding years, were applied annually to this purpose. The apparent difficulty of procuring land will be removed by taking it from wastes and cemmons, the proprietors and occupiers of which, lords of manors and commoners, are most interested in the reduction of the poor's rate; nor can there be much doubt of procuring the requisite quantity within any space of country of 50 or 60 miles in circumference; and how can such land be improved more expeditiously and beneficially for the public, than by placing such a population on it? We have been paying of late years millions of money annually for the encouragement of foreign agriculture for quantities of corn, which in a few years these lands, under successful management, will be competent to supply. The draught-work too on these lands might be executed chiefly by oxen instead of horses, and thereby afford examples in every district of that sort of husbandry, which the public interest requires to be more generally adopted. To facilitate the means of attendance for inspection and controul, many persons in each district must be appointed to discharge these duties.-Suppose two guardians be chosen in each parish for every hundred pounds raised on an average of three preceding years to the poor's rate, and that 12,000l. per annum have been collected within the whole district, then will the number of guardians be 240, to which add churchwardens and overseers, guardians by office, 100 more-total, 340. The guardians so elected might chuse 24 directors from among themselves, or other qualified persons within the district, and these latter so chosen might appoint weekly, monthly, and quarterly committees of directors and guardians, so as to have a routine of attendance for the year with little inconveniency to the individuals, by about 80 persons: these committees will be able to fulfil their respective duties with less trouble and in less time than is required for the ordinary business before committees of incorporated houses of industry, by whom cognizance is taken of matters not meant to be of inquiry at the district houses, namely, about granting relief to the out-poor, of

settlements, removals, &c.; all which considerations would be left to the managers of the home poor in the respec tive parishes, to whom the merits of these cases would be best known. To remove the last objection, with any promise of certainty, is indeed difficult-hie labor, hoc opus est. Our security in this respect must depend on vigilance of inspection, and publicity of proceedings; to insure this, the duties of the several committees, calculated to improve all favourable circumstances, and to detect and expose, with certainty of fidelity, what may be amiss, must be well defined, clearly explained, and faithfully performed; for which purpose minutes should be made by each committee, and signed by the members present at their respective sittings, of every thing worthy of notice, in detail; and that these minutes might not be slurred over, as things to be forgotten as soon as made, those of the several weekly committees in each district should be fairly transcribed every three months, and copies thereof be sent to the churchwardens of each incorporated parish, for the information of the parishioners thereof; and again, these minutes, together with the whole detail of management of each and every district manufactory in the kingdom should be collated, and an abstract of the whole be laid before Parliament annually, wherein should be noticed, with scrupulous exactness, whatsoever was praise-worthy, and to be imitated, or blameable, and to be reprobated, in the respective manufactories; and for greater publicity, these abstracts should be published, whereby every ap parent or real abuse would be exposed to public animadversion and reproach, thus operating as the most feasible check against neglects and misconduct, against the commission, or certainly against the continuance, of improper transactions. Another objection might possibly be added, and thought of some weight, namely, that by carrying on this scene of industry in the district manufactories, whether on account of the establishment, or of manufacturers, much and different kinds of work will be withdrawn from the out-poor; but in answer to this it may be observed, that the district mapufactories will be open to receive such of them as may be thereby affected, where they will perform the same work, with greater security, to the younger females especially, against a corruption of their morals. (It cannot be well doubted, that the manufactories supply a consider

able

able proportion of the public prostitutes). Neither would many of the younger inmates be instructed with a view to the permanent exercise of handicraft works, the healthy ones of both sexes would be otherwise disposed of at early ages, and thereby make room for others. Neither would the degree of skill acquired at such ages enable them to execute work to be put in competition with that of the out-adult poor engaged in similar pursuits. The necessary separation of sexes and ages, with proper restraints and diligent employment, which would be exacted at the district manufactories would check unnecessary application for admission to them, as before suggested; and to those admitted, each house should be a school of mental discipline, as well as of bodily action, of cleanliness, and instruction, of useful Occupation, and strict moral conduct. The health of the inmates should be consulted in wholesomeness of diet, in airiness of apartments, and in timely remissions of labour. The boys, at 11, in the intermissions of their other pursuits, might begin and continue to learn the military manual, not as a task, but as a recreation for present healthy exercise, and to enable them hereafter, on emergencies, to act more promptly and effectively in the protection of their country. The girls of the same age should be taken by rotation into the kitchen, washhouse, laundry, and be practised in all needful domestic work, to fit them for services in private families at their departure, and for their future destinations in life; but it is highly probable, that many of these of both sexes will, from the skill acquired by them in different crafts, be sought for and taken, without fee, as apprentices at earlier ages than that proposed for the ordinary term of their residence in the district house.

And thus having provided, in a way consonaut to the spirit of the act of the 43d Eliz. for the employment of all able paupers, and also for their frugal maintenance, let us further endeavour to shew how that description of needy poor, the impotent and infants, who are unable to earn any thing in aid of their sup port, may be provided for with most comfort to themselves and least expence to the public. These paupers, in my judg. ment should remain in their respective parishes, and those who cannot be other wise disposed of be maintained in parish houses, houses of refuge for the aged and impotent; and that these helpless people

2

might have the best chance for peace and quietness among themselves, and considering the fretfulness which the tempers of many, by age and bodily defects, are liable to, they should be placed in small rather than in large communities. To prevent, therefore, any of these houses from being overcrowded at any time, all those who can be boarded out with rela tions, friends, or other householders, willing to take them at or under the average cost of their maintenance within the house, and others who can be lodged out, and dieted in the house, should be so disposed of; and after deduct ing from the elder poor of the whole district, all those who might by some remaining ability be taken into the district manufactory, and such as may be disposed of in the ways just mentioned, the inmates in these houses of retuge would not be inconveniently numerous, and might therefore be managed and provided for with little trouble, and at moderate expence. These parish-houses and permanently helpless poor, as well as others labouring under temporary ina bilities from sicknesses, should be under the direction and management of the churchwardens and overseers of their respective parishes, with whom I would propose to associate, in the execution of these duties, a given number, according to the extent and population of each parish, of guardians elect, but not offi ciating at the district manufactory; forming thereby parochial weekly committees, to which other resident parishioners, magistrates, and gentlemen, qualified to be directors of the district manufactory, should be visitors. The guardians so chosen or selected should be permanent committee men, and excused, whilst so engaged, from serving on committees at the district manufactory: they, therefore, would soon be competent, from experience, to advise the annual officers, ignorant of their duty at the commencement, and often for the whole term of their service, in all obscure and disputed concerns of the parish: so protected, the office of overseer would be less invidiously thought of by the poor in general, who are often misled by those of the worst characters, not gratified with profuse and unmerited relief. The poor would soon be led to confide in parochial committees so constituted, and would, under such protection, certainly be safe from any unjust denial of succour in their necessities. With respect to the more active duties of the overseers, such as

making

making and collecting the rates, distributing allowances, receiving and removing paupers, &c. these might be fulfilled ty them as at present, according to regulations settled at the Committee Meetings. But however humanely the helpless poor be treated, in their infirmities, under the existing laws and general conduct of parishes, the more worthy part of them, reduced to this dependent state by misfortunes more than faults, cannot feel themselves as parish paupers, but in a most pitiable condition, and it would greatly ag gravate these sensations were the parish badges, as by law directed, to be imposed on them. A power has been, therefore, given by a later law to magistrates when persuaded of the personal merits of such deserving poor, to excuse them from being so notoriously degraded: but this power of discriminating, even if we cau suppose that partiality would never operate in its application, has rendered the duty of overseers, if inclined to fulfil this law, as they are in strictness obliged under a penalty to do, a more invidious task, and hence the imposition of badges on parish paupers has been very generally discontinued. In a late intended bill it was proposed, that persons becoming chargeable to their parishes through idleness and misconduct be badged, whilst on parish relief, on the upper garment, with the words, Criminal Poor: but, leaving such to be properly punished as rogues and vagabonds, let us see if it be not practicable to discriminate, with out any risque of partiality or injustice, and wise to denote publicly the provident from the improvident poor, those who, with the means in their power, neg. lect to lay up some provision for them selves against the time when their health and strength shall fail them, and those who full this obligation to themselves and families. The means to be relied on for the attainment of these views, are comprehended in a general establishment of friendly societies and parochial funds, combining together under one or both denominations, by present monthly contributions, future relief for members sub scribing thereto, not only temporary allowances in casual sicknesses, but permanent stipends in old age, or prema ture impotency: but though such societies and funds may be established in all parishes or districts, the poor must remain at liberty, whether to become subscribers to thein, or not. These engage. ments must be on their part voluntary, and no otherwise to be influenced than

by offering them present and future advantages, more than equal to their im mediate pecuniary sacrifices, which, to fulfil the intention effectually, cannot be less from each member than 5d. or 6d. per week. Those among the poor who may be desirous of becoming subscribers to these funds, but who, though sober and laborious, are unable to make full payments thereto, upon satisfying the committee of such inability and laudable conduct, should be entitled to receive one moiety of their contribution from their respective parishes, and not on that account be deemed parish paupers. The members of these societies will rarely be inmates of the district manufactory, only so in cases of non-employment, which would, to men of correct conduct, rarely happen; but they might have occasion, in cases of large families, or unhealthy wives, to send one or more able children thither, in which case, instead of applying to the parish officers, they might state their difficulties to the stewards of their respective clubs, who, after having givea notice thereof to the parish cominittee, might, with their approbation, be autho rized to give an order for the reception of such member's child, or children, into the district manufactory; and all inmates by such orders might be classed in the house as meritorious or provident poor; and, as such, be allowed preference in accommodations and employments, and be allowed a larger proportion of their earnings for encouragement. The younger ones too may be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, whereas all other inmates should be deemed and treated as parish paupers; be instructed in reading only; and be without exception badged as the law directs, or at least wear a discriminating habit: nor should these improvi dent pour in their respective parishes, whilst on parish relief, either occasional or permanent, be excused from wearing the parish-badge. The provident poor, non-parishioners where resident, with the indulgencies proposed at the district manufactory for themselves and families, would rarely incur the liability of removal, ander the acts of settlement, to their proper parishes; but to protect them more effectually from -uch possible inconveniences, every member of any provident club or society as before mentioned, having been resident in any parish for the space of three years, not convicted of any crime punishable with degradation, and who has been a member of such society for two years, and made

good

the village makes the necessaries of life moderate; the fertility and dryness of its situation renders it very healthy; the roads are likewise particularly clean and pleasant.

"Lemington Priors takes its name from its situation on the south side of the river Leame. In the Conqueror's time Earl Roger held it to the extent thereof, being certified at two hides, which were valued at 41. having two mills rated at 24s.

"The church, dedicated to all Saints, was originally but a chapel belonging to Wooton, being therewith confirmed to the canons of Kenilworth, by Ric. Peche, Bishop of Coventry, in Henry the Second's days, and appropriated to them by G. Muschamp, his successor, in King John's time, 1291. 19 Edw. I. it was valued at six marks over and above a pension of 20s. then issuing out of the abby of Malmsbury, and the vicarage at 20s. But in 26 Henry 8th. the same was valued at 61. 10s. the pension at 33s. 4d. added by the canons of Keuilworth computed.

"All that is further observable touching this place, is that nigh to the east end of the church, is a spring of salt water (not above a stone's throw from the river Leame) whereof the inhabitants make use for seasoning of meat.”

"Newbold Comyn. This place (the original occasion of whose name is discovered by the latter syllable bold, which in the Saxon language signifieth house) is one of those depopulated villages whereof John Rous” (an antiquarian and some time chantry-priest at Guy's Cliffe) "complayned, and lyeth on the north side of Leame. In Edward Confessor's time it was the inheritance of one Vleucine, who gave it to the Abby of Malmsbury at such time as he was shorn a monk in that monastery; and by the Cong. Survey is certified to contain 3 hides, at which time there was a mill yielding 8s. per ann. the value of the whole being 50s. But it was not long after the Norman conquest that the Monks of Malmsbury enfeoft one Radul phus Vicecomes in this their land at Newbold; which Ralph had issue, Wibert, and he a son called Anselme, who left one only daughter, sc. Joan, within age at her father's decease, and in ward to the Abbott, by whom she was given in marriage to Elias Comyn. From which Elias and Joan descended these Comyns,

See Warren's Edit. of Dugdale, 1656. MONTHLY MAG. No. 185,

who had their seat here, and for distinction from other Newbolds gave the addition of their own name to this place."

"In 31 Henry III. upon difference that grew betwixt John Comyn and Geffry de Simely, Lord of Radford, touching liberty of fishing in the river Leame, they came to an agreement that the said John should fish as far as his own land extended."

Such was the state in former times of these two villages, which constitute one parish, or constablewick; the river, which rises in this county, divides their districts, washing the banks from an eastern to a western direction; a handsome stone bridge of three arches has lately been erected, which holds a communication between the two villages, and from whence proceeds a road leading to this city, &c. Last summer, a new saltspring (the first of the kind, I suppose) was opened on the Newbold side, at about the distance of twenty yards from the river and bridge, to which baths and proper conveniences will be made for using the Spa water. A new town is likewise building on this side for accommodation, which is marked out on an extensive scale;-the first stone was laid on Tuesday, 20th September, 1808, by John Tomes, esq. the second by the Rev. James Walhouse; the third by Mr. B. Satchwell. Here there is a wonderful instance of the mutability of human affairs. To the tumultuous throng which once inhabited this village had succeeded the solitude of death; last year it was a pasture field which bloomed with verdure; again a village in opulence and magnitude is rising: but reflecting that if this very place did once exhibit this animated picture; who can assure me, that it will not be again desolated, and that another individual like our countryman Rous will not sit down amid silent ruius, and lament a people inurned, and their greatness changed into an empty naine?

The first spring in freehold ground on the Lemington side was originally sought for by Mr. William Abbots, deceased, on the 14th January, 1786, who immediately erected a new set of hot and cold baths, being the first of the kind ever made here, and from the period which Dugdale wrote till then, I believe, it had remained much the same; so that from the exertions of the above individual, who lived to see his benevolent intentions usefully and generally adopted, this place may be said to have taken its rise. 4 N

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