ABSTRACT
The weekly meeting of the board was held on Monday; Mr. Longson in the chair. The number of paupers in the house was reported to be—males, 228; females, 242; total, 470; being a decrease of 17, as compared with the previous week’s report. Amount expended in out-door relief for the week ending the 5th inst. £108. 15s. 11d.—The Clerk reported that a call was necessary, payable on the 18th instant, amounting to £891. 15s. A letter was read from the Poor-law commissioners, approving of the amended dietary table for the union house. The board then proceeded to investigate the charges prepared by three of the soldiers’ wives residing in the Heaton Norris workhouse, against Mr. Wyld, the keeper of that establishment, which were brought under the notice of the board by the Rev. J. Merydeth, the secretary to the local committee for the distribution of the relief fund. There were four charges in all, but as two only came within the province of the board, they only were gone into. They were, “for refusing to open the gate of the workhouse for the complainants to go to work at factory hours, unless they paid him 3d. per week each, and for drunkenness and violent conduct.” The examination of the witnesses occupied a considerable time, but it is only necessary to say that the first charge was made out, and that on the second, although occasional excitement from liquor was proved, no acts of violence were spoken to, the evidence being more in favour of Wyld’s uniform kindness to the several inmates of the house than otherwise.—In his defence, Mr. Wyld admitted having charged the women 3d. per week for opening the gate to let them out in a morning; but he said that the charge was made with the knowledge, and almost at the suggestion, of the committee. The charge of drunkenness and violence he denied; and he called his wife and son in support of his assertion.—With respect to Wyld’s statement of having acted with the knowledge of the committee, when he made a charge for opening the gate, the Rev. Mr. Merydeth said that, although he did not recollect the subject being mentioned to the committee, yet it might have been; and, in fact, it was very likely that it was.—All the parties having retired, the board proceeded to consider the evidence; and after much deliberation, the following minute was placed upon the books:—“As to the charge of receiving money from the inmates, that appears to have been done with the knowledge of the committee. The guardians, therefore, cannot now deal with that part of the case. With regard to the charge of drunkenness and violence, the board does not think that any charge of violence has been made out, the utmost that is proved being, that Wyld has, on two or three occasions, been excited with liquor, but on no occasion has he been violent, or otherwise misbehaved himself. The guardians do not, therefore, think that they can go further with the case, but they hope that, in future, Mr. Wyld will give no occasion for similar charges.”—The relief cases were then disposed of.
