1770 AD - Marcus Smith, Overseer of the Poor of Sheldon

I am one of the two Overseers of the Poor appointed by the Parish Council of St. Giles Church at Sheldon. It is my duty to collect the Poor Rate which each landowner and tenant pays every year and use the money to relieve the distress of the parish poor. We do not have great problems here but because of the enclosures some people were forced to give up their land as they could not afford the costs of fencing and ditching as well as the legal fees involved; and they found it difficult to earn enough money to keep their families as farm labourers.

The case of John Hodgetts is the worst of recent years, but that has been happily sorted now. It all started back in January 1766 when John, his wife and 5 children were living down the lane on money earned from William Harworth at Garretts Green Farm, but as he had injured his back some time before he had not been able to work a full week for some time.

William Harworth was not prepared to pay Hodgetts for the time he was off, so the family never had a full weeks' wages and had to exist on very little money. In February 1766 John was dying and the Parish provided "three pints of wine costing 2/6 (two shillings and sixpence = 13 pence) to relieve his pain". Later in the month I paid another œ 1 for his funeral charges (coffin, service and burial).

Jane Hodgetts and the 5 children now had to be supported completely by the Parish as they had no wages at all. At first I paid 6/- (six shillings) every week but after baby Katherine died it was reduced to 4/-. On top of this we provided "coal and wood for firing; in April a bag of beans and in March a pair of trousers for young William".

It was important to find the children work for their own sake and to stop the drain on the Parish funds, because if there was no need to pay out then I did not have to collect the money in from the farmers (and they obviously resented paying money to help others). In June Hannah Hodgetts was aged 12 and went to work for Thomas Lee away at Arley, tending his poultry and living above the stables. The next month William was aged 10 and went as an apprentice to Thomas Rothwell who was a steel maker in Birmingham and lives with the other apprentices above the workshop. Neither Hannah nor William has been back to the parish since they left home.

Their mother Jane died soon after they left home of consumption of the lungs and this left the last two children on their own. Fortunately Elizabeth was already working at Mackadown Farm, milking and making the butter and cheese. The youngest child was John Junior and through a cousin of mine I got him a job in a Black Country coal mine where he tends the horses. It was long hours of work for a young boy (12 hours every day) but as he likes horses he was happy.

Their dilapidated cottage is empty and a home to birds and cats. We have used some of the building stone to repair the lane outside and before long it will all have been pulled down.

1770 Wolverhampton to Birmingham Canal opened amid great rejoicing. Price of coal halved. Plans to link Birmingham with main estuaries - Brindley's 'Silver Cross'

1772 Henry Clay's manufacture of papier mache.

1773 Second Improvement Act.

1774 Partnership of Boulton & Watt - Soho Foundry built to make Watt steam-engines for water-pumping.

1774 Dr. Priestley discovered oxygen.