SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



The following year another attempt was made by the municipality to plant a new industry in York 

 as a means of giving employment to the poor. ' Thomas Lewkener of Hartelpole in the county of 

 Duresme gentleman on thone partye and Christofer Beckwith Lord Mayor of the Cittye of Yorke 

 and the Comonaltye of the same cittye on thother partye ' entered into an agreement by which 

 Lewkener undertook to begin ' the arte misterye or occupation of making of fustions ' and continue 

 the trade for ten years. During that period he was to instruct 



and kepe fiftye persons at the Leaste and more as his habillitye shall serve of the porer sorte 

 inhabitynge in this cittye on worke in cardinge and spynninge of cotton woll . . . and shall 

 wekelye paie unto them waiges for their worke accordinge as they shall earne after the rate of twelve 

 pence the pound spyneing and cardinge and to pay the Lord Mayor an annual sum of four pounds. 



The municipality on their part undertook that Lewkener should be granted the freedom of the city 

 without payment, should have the monopoly of making fustian within the city during the term 

 mentioned in the bond, and to let to him St. George's House to inhabit and work in rent free.' 



The knitting school which had engaged the energies of the city council for many years was 

 discovered to be in an unsatisfactory condition. The head had neglected to take apprentices, so that 

 if he died or went away there was great danger that the trade would die out. He was summoned 

 before the mayor and aldermen, but upon promising that he would take and keep always three 

 apprentices he was dismissed with a warning.' 



In 1597 Parliament passed a comprehensive series of Acts dealing with the poor. It was, 

 however, not until 1600 that the mayor and aldermen took any steps to put the Acts in force, and 

 their action then was only due to a peremptory letter from the Council signed by Burghley.^ The 

 response to ' the Act for the punyshment of Rogues, Vagabonds and Sturdy Beggars ' ' was that the 

 house of correction was newly furnished with a mill for grinding malt. The aldermen, ' beginning 

 first with the ancienste,' were called upon to provide malt to keep the mill at work. A wood 

 mortar and mill for * beatinge of hempe ' was set up, but the hemp was not requisitioned from the 

 aldermen. For purely punitive measures four manacles and two collars were provided. An officer 

 was appointed to superintend the punishment of the rogues, but as he was already superintendent of 

 the knitting school and taught the children to spin, he could not have had much leisure for the 

 criminals. He was given quarters rent free at St. George's House, a salary of 4.0s. yearly, and an 

 additional penny for every one sent for correction for each day the delinquent stayed, with additional 

 allowance for his rations.^" 



On arriving at the house of correction the unfortunate men or women were to be ' whipped 

 till his or her bodye be bloodye,' and then set to work. If they were refractory and refused to work 

 the punishment was to be repeated until they did work. But if they were willing and able to 

 work, they were to receive payment. The diet of the idle was bread and water, of those who 

 were willing but unskilful ' coarse bread and small aile,' but such as were willing and skilful were 

 given ' pottage made of such offall as may be had at the shambles or of sodne beanes.' These 

 luxuries were to be bought out of the payment for work done, supplemented by an allowance from 

 the poor fimd. In no circumstances were the overseers to advance more than i^d. per day. If any 

 of the inmates showed signs of a desire to run away, they were to be locked to a post by hand, foot, 

 or neck. They were to be detained at least twenty-one days, unless someone would take them into 

 his service for a year and enter bond to the extent of ^^5 to the corporation for them. 



Vagrants and vagabonds were not the only class who went in terror of the house of correction. 

 'Comon blasformers, comon dronkards, comon Raylors or scolds ' could be sent there by magistrates 

 or ministers and punished either in body or purse." The overseers seem to have kept a careful 

 watch over the welfare of those they boarded out. William Burland had taken the relief but failed 

 to do his duty by Anne Whitfeld, for ' she hath no clothes to put on neither is by him in any sort 

 releved.' She was at once placed with someone else and no further payment made to him.^^ 



In 1607 a new and startling state of affairs was reported by the churchwardens and overseers : 

 * the assessements maide for the releif of the poore within the cittie doth amount unto a full sixte 

 parte more than is distributed wekelye to the poore.' " Collections were ordered to cease for the 

 two months following. It is impossible to say whether this satisfactory state of affairs can be traced 

 to the Statute of 1597, or *° *^^ cessation of the plague, which had raged fiercely in the city during 

 the first four years of the 17th century. 



There seems to have been a general tendency during the early 1 7th century to treat the sick 

 poor with more leniency. The overseer and churchwardens presented the cases, but the Aldermen's 

 Court constantly ordered additional relief, which was either levied on the stock of the parish or 



^ York Munic. Rec. xxxi, fol. 301, 14 Oct. 1597. ' Ibid. fol. 3413, lo Apr. 1598. 



^ Ibid, xxxii, fol. 67, 3 1 Jan. 1 599. ' Stat. 39 Eliz. cap. 4. 



'° York Munic. Rec. xxxii, fol. ^ja, 13 June 1600. " Ibid. fol. 97-8, 13 June 1600. 



" Ibid. fol. 109, 10 Sept. 1600. " Ibid, xxxiii, fol. 74a, 30 June 1607. 



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