London
March 4. 1833
Dear Mr F.
The Parly <1> papers seem likely to be very useful, when the Irish Church Reform bill <2> comes on.
I hear Moore <3> has called a vestry for Friday, this provokes me; what, without giving me the least information of it, so that I might ask Awdry <4> to attend on my behalf! Unless you would like to take that trouble. I don’t know what he means to lay before the Vestry, but what I wish is, that the Vestry should empower him & Danl Clark <5> to go to Uley <6> in Gloucestershire at the Parish expense & minutely examine the Workhouse system <7> which has reduced the poor rates in that parish in so extraordinary a manner.
The overseer of Uley is Mr Ferebee, Upper Crown Inn, & is I am informed a very civil obliging person, ready to communicate all information –
This & much more I have from J. Baker Esqr of Hardwicke Court <8> who is so extremely polite as to say if I will send down any gentleman to examine the system, he will receive him at his own house.
I understand the poor law Commrs <9> are going to make a report. How I wish I had known that Mr Okeden was one, for he was staying at Bowood <10> lately & I could have talked with him about it. Mr Senior <11> is another.
Now I wish Moore not to make a precipitate journey to this place, without saying a word to me, but let it be decided in vestry to send him there in a fortnight’s time.
Yours affly
Henry
Notes:
1. Parliamentary.
2. See Doc. No: 02600, Doc. No: 02602, Doc. No: 02725.
3. Thomas Moore (possibly d. 1854), member of the Lacock Parish Vestry.
4. Probably William Henry Awdry (1778–1847), solicitor, Chippenham.
5. Daniel Clark. [See Doc. No: 02627].
6. Parish and village in the Cotswalds, county of Gloucestershire.
7. The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, established by Earl Grey’s government meant that poor people had to live in a workhouse, instead of living at home and receiving help from the parish.
8. Thomas John Lloyd Baker (1777–1841), High Sheriff.
9. Poor Law Commissioners. The Commission was set up to examine the working of the poor Law system in Britain.
10. Bowood House, nr Calne, Wiltshire, 5 mi NE of Lacock: seat of the Marquess of Lansdowne.
11. Nassau William Senior (1790–1864), political economist.