Work and Poverty
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21-23 July 1701 One Mr. Wood, who was Deputy of Langbourn Ward, and Dyed about 3 Years since, having left a Settlement, that any Servant-Maid, who should keep her Place 20 Years, should have 20l. given her, on Friday-last a Maid in Tower street challeng’d her Legacy, and making it appear she was Lawfully intituled [sic] thereto, she receiv’d it to a Farthing. [The London Post] Saturday 16 May 1719 Last Saturday ... a poor woman was found dead on a dunghill in Soho, having died for want. (Applebee’s Original Weekly Journal) 9 April 1726 Last Thursday being Maundy-Thursday, his Majesty’s Alms were distributed at Whitehall by his Grace the Archbishop of York, Lord Almoner, to 66 poor Aged Men and Women, being the Number of his Majesty’s Years. The Charity bestow’d upon this Occasion to each Person is, Woollen-Cloth for one Suit, Linnen for two Shifts, six Penny Loaves of Bread, Fish in Wooden Platters, a Quart Bottle of Wine, and two red Leather Purses, one with as many single Pence as the King is Years old, and the other with as many Shillings as Years of the King’s Reign. [Weekly Journal, or The British Gazetteer] Whereas John Rogers, late of London, Broker, against whom a Commission of Bankrupt hath been awarded, hath not surrendred himself to the Commissioners, pursuant to Notice published in the Gazette for that Purpose, but hath contemptuously absconded contrary to the Laws in that Case made and provided, though the Lord High Chancellour was pleased to indulge him with a further Time, upon his Petition and Promise to surrender himself: And whereas the said John Rogers hath been guilty of very great Frauds and Forgeries, whereby he hath cheated great Numbers of Persons of very large Sums of Money: Now in case any Person or Persons shall apprehend the said John Rogers, so that he may be brought before the said Commissioners, or the Major Part of them, such Person or Persons shall receive as a Reward of Messieurs Buckle and Sparrow, Attornies, in Bread-Street, London, Two Hundred Pounds. N.B. The said John Rogers is of a pale fallow Complection, about 36 Years of Age, about 5 Foot 9 Inches high, usually wore a light Tye-Wig, had a Wenn or Excrescence on the Right Side of his Forehead, very near the Temple, about the Size of a small Wallnut [sic], on which he usually wore a large Patch or Plaister; as he has absconded ever since the 25th of November last, he may possibly have had the said Wenn taken off. [The London Gazette] 23 May 1730 The under-mentioned persons claiming the benefit of the Act lately passed for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors, the following notices have been brough to the printer of the London Gazette, to be inserted in this paper, and are herein inserted in obedience to the said Act. |
that they intend to take the benefit of the late Act for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors, at the next General or Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be held for the City of London, or the Adjournment thereof, that first shall happen next after 30 days from the date hereof, viz. John Sprake, late of Plymouth in the County of Devon, Mariner. William Saunders, late of Yarmouth, in the County of Norfolk, Mariner. Thomas Norris, late of Fourteen Bridge in Hampshire, Chapman. Richard Saunders of the City of London, Glover. Thomas Skinner, late of the City of Exon, Stay-maker. 17 August 1728 We have certain advice from several parts of Oxfordshire, both by letters and persons come from thence, that the wheat-harvest is over in that country; but the farmers complain of the dearness of labourers, having paid the reapers half a crown a day, on account of the great sickness that has happen’d, and continues among the working people: But on the other hand they say, the corn proves as good as ever was known. They add, that the price of corn is fallen in most markets in Oxfordshire, 10d. per bushel. (Weekly Journal, or the British Gazetteer) 21 December 1728 One morning last week about six o’clock, a butter-woman going to Leaden-hall Market, was stopp’d near Moorgate by two street-robbers, who took from her about thirty shillings, being all the poor woman’s stock in trade. (Weekly Journal, or the British Gazetteer) 28 January 1731 Durham, Jan. 26. Great numbers of the wives and children of the coal-pit men are begging about in all the neighbouring towns, by reason their husbands have not their usual work, and are forced to draw coals about for small pay, to prevent starving. We are in great dread of them, for their numbers are very large, and no body will trust them, which makes them desperate. It is said some of the coal owners have agreed not to deliver more coals till Feb. 20, which will not only make them dear, but ruin hundreds more of working men. [Grub-street Journal] 14 March 1731 They write from Newcastle, that the colliers still continue in great bodies, and are resolved not to work a coal, till the corse or basket is reduced to its primary size. It holds now (by the report of the maker) 5 pecks more, besides several stone weight of iron, which before were wood, and answered much better for the poor slaves, who then perhaps might sometimes get 4 or 5d. per day, but now the baskets are hardly to be drawn by horses. [Grub-street Journal] 13 October 1739 Last week died Mr. Samuel Chantry, Master of the Workhouse in St. Saviour’s, Southwark; a man of abilities for a more elevated employ, and who once made a shining figure in trade; but by losses being reduced, he chearfully contented himself with that troublesome office, in which he behav’d so well, that he is equally lamented by the poor as well as those that employ’d him. (Read’s Weekly Journal, or, British-Gazetteer) |
(Texts have been modernized with regard to capitalization, italicization, and punctuation, but original spelling has been retained. This edition copyright Rictor Norton. All rights reserved. Reproduction for sale or profit prohibited. These extracts may not be archived, republished or redistributed without the permission of the compiler.)
CITATION: Rictor Norton, Early Eighteenth-Century Newspaper Reports: A Sourcebook, "Work and Poverty", 27 December 2001, updated 4 April 2007 <http://grubstreet.rictornorton.co.uk/work.htm>