Almonry, (which consisted of three tenements in Great Ambrey, Westminster, as his will expresses it) for the use of the poor. These were subsequently sold, and the receipts, Mr. Parton says, carried to the churchwarden's account for them. These donors lived in 1623 at Towns-end, St. Giles, but afterwards removed to Westminster, where Overy died in 1647. The churchwarden's accounts of that year thus notice the circumstance :-" 1647. Paid for the buriall of Bartholomew Overy, who died at Westminster, and desired to be buried at St. Giles's; who, by will dated 6th January, 1647, hath given to the poor of this parish, (after the decease of his wife Jane), three tenements, (see above), being college land."

AN APPENDIX.

The following Acts, being the most applicable to the United Parishes, are abstracted, with the idea of their proving useful, by conveying information to the inhabitants, many of them being unacquainted therewith. We begin with

The celebrated Act 43 of Queen Elizabeth, Anno 1600.

1. It provides, that the churchwardens of every parish, or parishes, to be called Overseers of the Poor, shall be nominated yearly, in Easter-week, or within a month after, under the hand and seal of two or more Justices of the Peace, in the same county where the parish lies.

2. That they, or the greater part of them, shall, with the consent of the Justices, set the children to work in their respective parishes, when their parents are known not to be able to keep and maintain them. work all such persons, married or unmarried, having no means to maintain them, and use no ordinary and daily trade of life to get their living by.

Also, they were to set to

3. It then provides for the raising, by weekly taxation, or otherwise, such sums from the inhabitants, as shall be competent for the purchasing flax, hemp, wool, thread, iron, and other ware, and stuff to set the poor on work. Also competent

sums for the necessary relief of the lame and impotent, old, blind, and such other among them, not able to work to put out children to be apprentices.

4. The overseers are then enjoined to meet monthly, together with the churchwardens, after the sunday afternoon service, to render an account of monies received and expended, &c. Penalty for not attending, 20s. unless lawful reasons for absence be given.

5. When any parish is unable to procure funds for the above purposes, two Justices are empowered to tax, rate, and assess any other parish, or parishes, within the hundred; and if the said hundred shall not be thought able by the said Justices, then they shall be empowered, at their General Quarter Sessions, to assess other parishes within the county.

6. The churchwardens and overseers are empowered to levy the rates by distraint, or to commit defaulters to prison, until payment is made; and, also, the Justices are to commit those who are able, refusing to work; and farther, also, commit to prison the churchwardens and overseers who refused to accompt.

7. Children to be bound apprentice; males not till they are twenty-four, and females not till they are twenty-one, unless they become married.

8. Cottages to be erected on any waste, or common, of any parish by leave of the Lord of the manor, for the convenient reception of the impotent poor.

9. Persons aggrieved by assessments, imposed by the churchwardens and overseers, may appeal to the Quarter Sessions their decision to be final and binding.

10. The father, grandfather, mother and grandmother, and the children of every poor, old, blind, &c. person, not able to work, being of sufficient substance, shall, at their own charge, relieve and maintain such poor person, as shall be prescribed by the magistrates.

11. Officers of Corporate Towns, as Mayors, Bailiffs, &c. and Aldermen of the City of London, to have similar anthority as Justices.

12. When parishes extend into two counties, or where they are partly in two liberties of any City, Town, or Place Corporate, the Magistrates, &c. shall only intermeddle with such portions respectively, with certain exceptions.

13. If Overseers are not nominated and appointed yearly, Justices, Mayors, &c. where such default occurs, are to be fined £5 towards the relief of the poor.

14. Directions are given how forfeitures should be employed and levied; Justices, at their General Sessions, holden next after Easter, are empowered to rate every parish to such a weekly sum as they think convenient, not exceeding sixpence, nor under the sum of a half-penny weekly; and so as the total sum of each amount not to above the rate of twopence for every parish within the said county; which sums, so taxed, shall be yearly assessed by the agreement of the parishioners within themselves, or in default thereof, by the churchwardens and petty constables of the same parish, or the mere part of them; or, in default of their agreement, by the Justice, or Justices of the peace, in or near the said parish. Penalties are to be exacted.

15. Relief is next provided for prisoners in the King's Bench, Marshalsea, Hospitals, and Alms-houses. Twenty shillings at least to be sent out of every county, with other provisos, as to surplusages, &c. &c.

An Act for remydying some defects in the Act made in the 43rd year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, intituled "An Act for the Relief of the Poor."

1. The preamble states that the former act contains some defects, whereby the money, raised for that purpose, was liable

to be misapplied; added to which, great difficulties and delays. often occurred in raising the same. It then prescribes, that from and after the 24th of June, 1744, the churchwardens and overseers of the poor, shall yearly, and every year, within fourteen days after other overseers shall be nominated, and appointed to succeed them, deliver unto such succeeding overseers, a just, true, and perfect account, in writing, fairly entered in a book or books for that purpose, and signed by the said churchwardens and overseers, hereby directed to account, as aforesaid, under their hands, of all sums of money by them received or rated and assessed, and not received; and also, of all goods, chattles, stock, and materials that shall be on their hands, or in the hands of any of the poor, in order to be wrought, and of all monies paid by such churchwardens and overseers so accounting, and of all other things concerning their said office; and shall also pay and deliver all sums of money, goods, &c. and other things, as shall be in their hands, unto such succeeding overseers of the poor; which said account shall be verified by oath, or by the affirmation of persons called quakers, before one or more of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, which said oath and affirmation, such said Justice and Justices is and are hereby authorised and required to administer, and to sign and attest the caption of the same at the foot of the said account, without fee or reward; and the said book or books shall be carefully preserved by the churchwardens and overseers, or one of them, in some public or other place in every parish, township, or place; and they shall and are hereby required to permit any person, there assessed, or liable to be assessed, to inspect the same, at all reasonable times, paying six-pence for such inspection; and shall, upon demand, forthwith give copies of the same, or any part thereof, to such person, paying at the rate of six-pence for every three hundred words, and so on in proportion for any greater or less number.

2. The next clause exacts the penalty of imprisonment, in the county goal, upon any churchwarden or overseer that shall