Community, parish, and poverty : Old Swinford, 1660-1730
To what extent con on administrative unit be described as a community. To investigate, a case study of the West Midlands parish of Old Swinford was undertaken utilising parish registers, poor low records, family papers (correspondence, account books and a diary), probate items, and quarter sessions and consistory court records. Economic forces bound the parish into the wider North Worcestershire/South Staffordshire locality, thus circumscribing Old Swinford's individuality. Moreover, the parish exhibited considerable social and spatial differentiation. Giving the parish its unity, however, was the poor law. This provided the basic framework for the parish's social hierarchy, and created a web of obligations and rights enveloping the whole parish (save possibly Amblecote settlement). It is further suggested that the poor law intimately affected the parish's demographic profile - in particular nuptiality, bastardy, migration, and household structure. Parochial power was certainly unequally distributed and, indeed, became more concentrated over time. Nevertheless, positions of power were not entirely monopolised by the economic elite, and such power was used with considerable discretion, with little obvious crude
Davies, R. A.
Social history of Old Swinford
Community, parish, and poverty : Old Swinford, 1660-1730. To what extent con on administrative unit be described as a community. To investigate, a case study of the West Midlands parish of Old Swinford was undertaken utilising parish registers, poor low records, family papers (correspondence, account books and a diary), probate items, and quarter sessions and consistory court records. Economic forces bound the parish into the wider North Worcestershire/South Staffordshire locality, thus circumscribing Old Swinford's individuality. Moreover, the parish exhibited considerable social and spatial differentiation. Giving the parish its unity, however, was the poor law. This provided the basic framework for the parish's social hierarchy, and created a web of obligations and rights enveloping the whole parish (save possibly Amblecote settlement). It is further suggested that the poor law intimately affected the parish's demographic profile - in particular nuptiality, bastardy, migration, and household structure. Parochial power was certainly unequally distributed and, indeed, became more concentrated over time. Nevertheless, positions of power were not entirely monopolised by the economic elite, and such power was used with considerable discretion, with little obvious crude
community parish poverty old extent con administrative unit describe community investigate case_study west_midlands parish old undertaken utilise parish register poor low record family paper correspondence account book diary probate item quarter session consistory court_record economic force bind parish wider north south staffordshire locality thus circumscribe old individuality moreover parish exhibit considerable social spatial differentiation giving parish unity however poor_law provide basic framework parish social_hierarchy create web obligation right whole parish save possibly settlement suggest poor_law intimately affect parish demographic profile particular migration household structure parochial power certainly distribute indeed become concentrated time nevertheless position power entirely economic elite power use considerable little obvious crude