Vestry Minutes from St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent.

Entry of Minutes

1786. Appeal to remove Page family back to Patrixbourne.
1787. Agreement to defend the parish overseers indicated at Quarter Sessions for removing two children without warrant who were illegally brought into the parish.
      William Hodgeman lunatic ordered to be continued at St. Luke’s Hospital.
1788. Removal of Elizabeth MacQueen to Buckland by Dover. Sick in workhouse.
1789. Bastard child of Jane Trimble.

1785 Family starving near St. Mary Dover.

Suggestion to save money by farming out the poor.

St. Mary in Dover – August 27th 1769.

At an assembly of the parishioners of the said parish in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin there this day after evening service notice having been first been given as usual. The churchwardens and overseers informed the parishioners present that in or about the month of February last Thomas and Ann Harderd’s two children were illegally and without warrant of removal brought into the parish by two persons their relations from Eastry and left by them in this parish. Whereupon Ash Parsons and John Marsh the overseers of this parish without warrant of removal conveyed and carried the said two children back to Eastry and left them at the house of one of the persons who so brought and left them in the parish aforesaid for which said removal to Eastry the said Ash Parsons and John Marsh now stand indicted and are bound over to appear and try the said indictment at the next Quarter Sessions of the peace to be held at the Old Castle in the City of Canterbury (for the). And the churchwardens and the overseers desiring the order and direction of the parishioners in there behalf.
The parishioners to bring the said into consideration and finding that the said Ash Parsons and John Marsh carried the said children back to Eastry to prevent their being chargeable to this parish. It is therefore ordered that the churchwardens and the overseers and their successors do and shall at the expense of this parish defend the said Ash Parsons and John Marsh the said indictment and that such expenses shall be allowed to the said present churchwardens and overseers and their successors in their accounts.

September 17th 1769.
At an assembly of the parishioners of the said parish in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin Dover that of this day after evening service notice having been given as usual. The churchwardens and overseers informed the parishioners present that William Hodgeman a parishioner of this parish and a lunatic was in St. Luke’s Bedlam and that they had received advising that unless he was ordered to continue in Saint Luke’s Hospital as incurable on of before Friday next and the usual security given towards the paying the expenses of the same he would be discharged and permitted to go at large. The churchwardens and overseers therefore desiring the directions of the parishioners in this behalf and the parishioners taking the same into consideration and finding that if the said William Hodgeman is permitted to go at large he may do a great deal of mischief as well as cause a great expense to this parish. It is therefore ordered that the churchwardens and overseers do and taking the necessary stop for the continuation of the said William Hodgeman in Saint Luke’s Hospital as an incurable and pay all the expenses attending the same out of the parish money which is hereby ordered to be allowed them in their accounts.

February 4th

At an assembly of the parishioners of the said parish in the church of St. Mary the Virgin that of this day after evening service notice having been given as usual. The Churchwardens informed the parishioners present that they had been applied to on behalf of Thomas Penn Sexton a poor parishioner of this parish who had long been afflicted with a dropsy and thereby rendered incapable of working and maintaining himself and family as usual and from there they had inquired into the previous and found that the said Thomas Penn and his family real objects of charity and in the want of common necessaries of life and therefore the said churchwardens desired the directions of the parishioners how and in what manner to relieve the said Thomas Penn and his family. It is therefore ordered by the parishioners present that a collection to be made in the church on Sunday next after Morning and Evening Service of that day. And the churchwardens do stand at the church door to receive the same and that the moneys arriving from such collection shall be given to the said Thomas Penn in such manner and form taken and at such times as the said churchwardens shall think when and convenient. And it is further ordered that Mr Thomas Edward’s the minister of this parish that give notice in this church on Sunday next after morning and evening service that the said collection is ordered to be made as foresaid.

September 13th 1778.
At an assembly of the parishioners this day after evening service notice having been first given as usual. The churchwardens and overseers informed the parishioners present that Elizabeth MacQueen a poor woman is now in the workhouse and having a bad leg Mr Virrill Surgeon has reported that her leg must be taken off and it being presumed this settlement of the said Elizabeth MacQueen is in the parish of Buckland near Dover. it is therefore ordered that the said Elizabeth MacQueen be forthwith removed to the parish of Buckland and all the expenses attending the same be allowed. The said churchwardens and overseers in their accounts and they are hereby indemnified from all expenses attending the same.

January 13th 1782.
At an assembly of the parishioners of the said parish in the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin there on Sunday 13th day of January 1782 after evening service notice having been given as usual the churchwardens and overseers of the said parish informed the parishioners present that Jane Smith had lately been delivered of a bastard child and having refused to having the same hath by warrant of removal from two of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the Town and Port of Dover been committed to the gaol at the said Town and Port. It is therefore ordered that the said two Justices of the Peace who signed the said commitment and the churchwardens and overseers of the said parish shall be kept harmless and indemnified from the said commitment and all expenses relating thereto and that five shillings per week from this time shall be paid for the maintenance of her and her child until further orders relating thereto and in the meantime the opinion of Charles Robinson Esquire shall be taken in this case.

January 9th 1785.
At an assembly of the parishioners of the said parish in the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin that this day after evening service notice having been given as usual the churchwardens and overseer informed the parishioners present that there was a family consisting of 4 children in a starving condition near the parish of Saint Mary aforesaid but the said officers who thinking the said place to be in their parish have requested the direction of the parishioners how and in what manner to pick with the said family. It is ordered that the said land in dispute shall be surveyed and measured and that the Vestry clerk shall apply to the Master and Wardens of the Fellowship of Pilots of the Cinque Ports residing at Dover to inspect the tithe deed of the said estate and report the same in Vestry on Sunday next.

January 16th 1785.
At an assembly of the parishioners assembled the day after due notice given for that purpose. The Vestry clerk of the said parish informed the parishioners present that the pursuant to the order of vestry made on the ninth instant he has applied to the Master and Wardens of the Society of Fellowship of Pilots of the Cinque Ports received at Dover and inspected the tithe deeds of the land and premises a place called Above Wall in Dover aforesaid whereby it appears that the land and premises in question are in the parish of Saint Mary’s the Virgin in the town of Port of Dover aforesaid. In consequence which report it is ordered that the parish officers of this parish give notice to parish officers of Hougham to meet and settle the boundaries of the said parishes and after such meeting to report the result to the Vestry to be here assembled.

At an assembly of the parishioners of the said parish in the vestry room pursuant to notice having been given as usual for that purpose this day after evening service in order to take the following case into consideration.
Whereas Mary William’s a vagrant on the fourth day of January instant was sent by George Stringer Esquire the Worshipful the Mayor of Dover aforesaid to the guardians of the poor of the said parish of Saint Mary to be received into the workhouse to be there provided for and to be examined that night she was to prevent her from suffering during the cold weather and taken proper care of in the said workhouse. And upon examination the next day taken before the Mayor it clearly appeared that she was a vagrant and had only the night proceeding the day on which she was examined slept in a stable in said Parish of Saint James the Apostle and that as the examination so taken by and before the Mayor proved her to be a vagrant and the visitor and guardians in execution and discharge of their duty being fully satisfied that she was a vagrant delivered her to be dealt with according to the law. That notice withstanding was as before stated the vagrant was by said Mayor again suffered to be examined and the guardians summoned in court to shew cause why the said vagrant was so delivered up but not being satisfied there with nor of the examination taken as before mentioned under the hand of the said Chief Magistrate but a paper or a second examination was again read over and the pauper again sworn in which last examination it was set forth that for the space of six months and upwards last past she had resided in the parish of Saint Mary aforesaid and then resided there which the said vagrant denies to be the fact and that the last paper or examination so taken as aforesaid was and is utterly false for that she positively declared that she had not any fixed residence for some months past but she had lodged in different parishes wherever she could find shelter and the Mayor then thought it proper to and did make an order. Writing under her hand dated the 12th instant for the said vagrant to be admitted in the said workhouse and therein to be provided for whereupon the parish officers thought proper to lay these proceedings before vestry for their determination. When as the Mayor does not think proper to withdraw his order such steps shall be persuaded by the visitors and guardians to enforce the same or whether the vagrant is still to be maintained by this parish. When it was resolved that the visitor and guardians be empowered and are hereby authorised to take steps as they by their council or solicitor shall deem necessary to enforce this.

Resolved that Mrs. Davey and her three children be removed again to Sheerness and to receive the sum not exceeding four shillings per week but left to Mr. Spain to make the last minute agreement with her and to be allowed twenty shillings to enable them to proceed to Sheerness.

That a warrant be taken out against Mr Silk for not supporting his wife’s application having been made for relief for her.

That notice be sent to John Hunter and William Pepper to inform them that if the account due to the parish for the support of their illegitimate children is not paid before the 1st December legal proceedings will be immediately taken out against them for the recovery of the same.

That a pauper shall be permitted to leave the house without a written order from the assistant overseer and such order to proceed by the governor.