Poor travellers on the move in Devon, 1598-c.1800
This study examines poor travellers who were on the move during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The focus is the County of Devon, with Exeter dealt with only briefly as it was a separate county. It is shown that the travellers, including numbers of Irish in the seventeenth century and foreign-born, particularly in the eighteenth century, were affected by a number of factors, but that the most important influence on their numbers and types was the incidence of wars. Economic factors, such as food supply, were of some importance, but the economy too was influenced by the effects of wars. Legislation also was found to have had less influence than expected. However, the legislation effective from 1700 did have a marked impact on the documentation available. The main sources used for this study are the parochial documents provided by churchwardensâ accounts of payments made to travellers in need and some of those of the parish overseers. These are supplemented by the records of Devonâs County Quarter Sessions. A combination of Devonâs geography, its strong international maritime connections and the influence of wars and their locations combined to affect the chronological and spatial variations
Hardy, Marion Ruth
County of Devon ; County of Exeter ; Church warden accounts ; Militia ; Seaman ; Irish ; Soldiers ; Cornish ; Vagrants ; Other foreigners ; Work houses ; Ship wrecks ; Overseers accounts ; Quarter sessions records ; Effects of wars ; Plymouth ; Social composition of travellers ; 17th Century ; 18th Century
Poor travellers on the move in Devon, 1598-c.1800. This study examines poor travellers who were on the move during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The focus is the County of Devon, with Exeter dealt with only briefly as it was a separate county. It is shown that the travellers, including numbers of Irish in the seventeenth century and foreign-born, particularly in the eighteenth century, were affected by a number of factors, but that the most important influence on their numbers and types was the incidence of wars. Economic factors, such as food supply, were of some importance, but the economy too was influenced by the effects of wars. Legislation also was found to have had less influence than expected. However, the legislation effective from 1700 did have a marked impact on the documentation available. The main sources used for this study are the parochial documents provided by churchwardensâ accounts of payments made to travellers in need and some of those of the parish overseers. These are supplemented by the records of Devonâs County Quarter Sessions. A combination of Devonâs geography, its strong international maritime connections and the influence of wars and their locations combined to affect the chronological and spatial variations
poor traveller move devon study_examines poor traveller move seventeenth focus county devon exeter deal briefly separate county show traveller include number irish foreign born affect number_factor important influence number type incidence war economic_factor food_supply importance economy influenced effect war legislation also_find less influence expect however legislation effective mark impact documentation available main_source use study parochial document provide account payment make traveller need parish supplement record devon county quarter combination devon geography strong international maritime connection influence war location combine affect chronological_spatial variation