Parish Overseer

[Lydart]

What was he, and what was his job in a parish ? 

[Gadget]

Hi Lydart

He collected the Poor Rate and oversaw the distribution of this to the poor of the parish. I'm trying to find a good site which describes all his function.

Gadget

A wee bit from Ancestry:

A series of acts of Parliament, particularly under Elizabeth I, 1558-1603, created the system of poor relief that remained in effect for nearly three hundred years. One of these acts, in 1572, required each parish to appoint an Alms Collector, and a Supervisor of Rogues and Vagabonds; these two offices were later combined into that of Overseer of the Poor.

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=7418

[Gadget]

Maybe start with Wikie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseer_of_the_Poor

and the link quoted there:

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/elizpl.html

Anything on Poor Law would give an account 

[stanmapstone]

Also see under Poor Laws at http://www.workhouses.org.uk/

The officials who performed the assessment and collection of the poor-rates were called overseers, of which there were normally between two and four in each parish. Overseers were appointed annually, subject to the approval of the local Justices. In addition, churchwardens were able to act as ex-officio overseers. Since the post of was an honorary one, overseers received no remuneration for their work.

Stan

[Lydart]

Thanks for that both of you.  So I guess he'd have to be honest and upright, or it would be easy to abuse such a position ? 

[stanmapstone]

You might find this 1858 book of interest
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sh/

Stan