Category Archives: Overseers of the Poor
Justice and Milton Abbas
Following a recent talk on Dorset Justice of the 17th century a number of questions were raised. The Dorset Record Society book volume 14 ‘Dorset Quarter Session 1625 – 1638’ is a transcription of the earliest surviving Order Book for … Continue reading
Six Little Girls Dressed in Blue: Lady Caroline’s “Spinning School”
Clive Barnes writes: On September 7 1789, six village girls walked up to Milton Abbey mansion house to meet King George III and his wife, Queen Charlotte. When the queen returned to Weymouth with “the K”, as she referred to … Continue reading
What a treasure!
Overseers of the Poor Account Books It is six years ago when I was in Chris Fookes’ shed that I first saw three original Overseers of the Poor Books. They had somehow been saved by the Fookes family of Milton … Continue reading
Posted in Dorset, history, local history, Overseers of the Poor, transcription
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The Role of the Overseers of the Poor
Following two brilliant presentations to the Milton Abbas Local History Group by members Clive Barnes and John O’Quinn, a number of questions were asked about the Overseers of the Poor of Milton Abbas. The presentations are available on the Members … Continue reading
Overseers of the Poor Account Books
The Milton Abbas Local History Group have transcribed 60 000 records of all their Overseers of the Poor Account books from 1771 to 1836, and we are finding they are a fantastic resource for researching local and family history. They … Continue reading
Exhibition 28 – 30 August 2021
At last! Now we can hold our exhibition. We have so much to show that it will be in both St James Church, Milton Abbas and the Reading Rooms, Milton Abbas. Lots more details here. We do hope you can … Continue reading
Poor House or Work House?
Did you know that there was a Poor House in the new village of Milton Abbas? This was not called a work house in our records until 1804, and was built after the houses in the Street but before the … Continue reading
Grist
Every parish had its Overseers of the Poor who were responsible for raising the ‘poor rates’ and for the payments to the poor. The agricultural labourers (ag labs) in Dorset at this time were some of the poorest in the … Continue reading
Your family history!
Tired of reading books about kings and queens, the rich and famous? Fed up with Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn? The lives of ordinary people are just as tragic, difficult, triumphant and revelationary. How your ancestors survived the traumas and … Continue reading
Overseers of the Poor Accounts Book 1830 – 1836
These are the final entries in the final book: After this date there are no more payments by the Overseers of the Poor of Milton Abbas. Poor people then had to use the Workhouse which had been set up in … Continue reading
Milton Abbas Local History Group, Dorset, UK 