Welsh Journals

forty years of James I's reign and did not rise again until the Commonwealth, except for one change in 1635 for agricultural labourers.53 The Act of Settlement in 1662 laid down the terms whereby a person might obtain legal settlement in a parish for the purposes of poor relief (based on birth, property and apprentice- ship).54 This was yet another means of harrying the poor, especially after the insubordination of the Commonwealth years, and there was a continuing demand after the Restoration for the poor to be driven into employment, for 'houses of correction', and the farming out of paupers. As has been stated in earlier articles however, Berriew lagged behind parts of Britain nearer the centres of English state power in its application of new laws and English customs55 and much that we have said above lacks illustration in our local records. The majority of the returns to the Court Leet do not mention paupers, but this does not imply that there were none. Even when we have a list of paupers, we find ourselves confused. In the 1664 report for Berriew township, three of the householders listed are marked as paupers including a certain Thomas ap John. At the end of the report we come to the nominations for the post of petty constable for the ensuing year, and one of the nominations is for Thomas ap John. This seems an improbable nomination. Was Thomas ap John an old man without property living, perhaps, on help from his children but much respected in the township or was the unpopular job of petty constable being "planted" on one not in a position to refuse? In 1666, the report for Berriew township is made by Arthur ap John and there are thirteen or fourteen householders listed including only one pauper. Thomas ap John is on the list but not as a pauper and the other two paupers of 1664 have disappeared. Also in 1666, John Wynn, as petty constable for Faenor ucha, makes an exceptionally full report and classifies the householders so that we find Six freeholders Fourteen tenants One pauper In Allt ucha and isa combined there is one pauper listed among eleven or twelve householders and in Bryncaemeisir there are two paupers among eleven or twelve householders.56 The 1666 reports cover in full twelve townships (there are, as usual, no reports for Llandinir and for Cil we only know the names of the constables) with about 190 householders and only five paupers as listed above. No widows are listed. In 1671 an incomplete set of reports yield Berriew township twelve householders no paupers Llifior township twentyfive householders no paupers Faenor ucha township seventeen householders six paupers Cil township twentyone householders four paupers Ffridd township twentyone householders three paupers Penthryn township twenty householders six paupers Bryncaemeisir township eleven householders two paupers 53G. D. Ramsay, 'The Wiltshire Woollen Industry' p. 69. 54Great and fascinating detail of cases arising from the Act are given in 'History ofMyddle' by Richard Gough, p.251 et seq. (Penguin edition). Though a reasonable man, Gough seems not to realise the misery of those affected and comments one case: "This was the first contest that we had and thus we lost it; but thanks be to God we never lost any afterwards". Some details of cases in the following century in Berriew were quoted in Mont. Coll. 70, p.122. 55Mont. Coll. 70, p.99. 56The doubt about the totals comes from the varying practice of the petty constables, not necessarily from the township itself, who do not follow any regular rule of inclusion (or otherwise) of their own name among the householders. Probably the higher number should be taken in most cases.