Page 13 - The Health OF Redditch

The Health Of Reditch

must have been when the moat was in existence, a sort of manor house, or better kind of farmhouse.
However, at this time, 1843, its character may be judged from the many aliases it had –
“Tanner’s•Pool”,•“Sheward’s•Pool”,•“Big•Pool”,•etcetera,•etcetera.• It•was•filled•with stagnant
water, dotted over pretty freely with the mortal remains of murdered dogs and slaughtered cats.
It seemed to be the receptacle of all the refuse of the town, and a walk along its banks on a warm
day was sufficient to satisfy the appetite for the next six hours. Had the place existed in its old
form until the present day, it must, with our increased population, have kept plague and fever
ever in our midst. In the olden times the pool was open to the road at the
st
end,•and•I•can•remember•that•William•Turner’s•wife• was•drowned•in•it•January•1 , 1829,
th
andThomas Nash met with the same fate on the 10 February, 1837.

Reclaiming the costs from the Poor Rate

Although the Board of Health's minutes did not include the accounts, the daily entries gave
some idea of the expenses incurred. These included payments made to the doctors, nurses,
the•secretary•of•the•Board•of•Health,•and•William•Johnson•‘for•attending•the•Hearse•36•times
at•the•Funeral•of•Cholera•Patients’. There was also the cost of replacing beds, bedding and
clothes that were burnt to avoid contamination. When there were no more cases of cholera in
the district, the local Board of Health focused on reclaiming the costs from the Poor Rate.
However, the Warwickshire part had no cases of cholera and refused to pay a proportion of the
total expenses. The Board argued that as it was a single parish, with one parish church and one
rate collected, each part ought to pay its fair share. A letter was sent to the Lords of the Privy
Council in November, and the reply on November 29th stated that the Warwickshire part of the
parish should pay its share. The Warwickshire part still refused, so in February 1833 the Board
wrote again to the Privy Council. The reply received by the local Board of Health in February
referred to an Order of Council that appeared in The London Gazette
on•8•February•1833.•Three•local•newspapers•summarised•the•Council’s•instructions in the
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Gazette. The following paragraph was taken from the Worcester Journal.

Tuesday’s Gazette contains an Order in Council empowering the Board of Health for Tardebigg
to apply to some Justice of the Peace, in or near that parish, to make an order upon the parish
officers, guardians of the poor, or district churchwardens of that part of the parish situate in the
county of Warwick, to pay the sum of 55l.[£] and sixpence out of the rates for the relief of the
poor, being their proportion of 224l. 15s. [shillings] required for the purposes of the Board. The
vestry of that part of the parish situated in the county of Worcester had previously assented to
pay their proportion.

On 20 February 1833 the chairman of the Board, Rev. John Clayton was to attend the Public
Office at Alcester in Warwickshire to make application to the Justice of the Peace for an order
in respect of sums due. The outcome was not mentioned in the minutes or any newspaper.

The minutes showed that the voluntary subscriptions were under the management of a separate
Committee, over which the Board of Health had no control. Most of the money was

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Birmingham Gazette 11 February 1833; Worcester Herald 16 February 1833; Worcester Journal 14 February
1833.

Angela Webster Page: 13 of 26