Date of letter: April 1876. Poor Law Union: Llanfyllin Poor Law Union
CIRCUMTEXT:
Mr Murray Brown AB 13 Apl /76
I have retained the pp until I visited the Workh. which I did to-day. Brutus Lloyd is not, & was not at the date of the letter an inmate of the Workhouse: nor as I am informed is he in receipt of out-relief. It is clear from the previous pp that no reliance can be placed on anything he says.
TEXT:
gentleman I am obliged to trouble you xxxx again. I can get no fair play I have no friend & no money nor helth if you will not [fit] me… I had medicine from a dauctor in llanfair and said I was not fit to work doctor Jones from llanfyllin says I must be cuired before I can work and sent a note to the board to tell them so I am begging of you to save my life by gending1 a doc[ter] to examin me and then you will no the truthe I am an o[ut] door patient to thee infirm[ary] but I cant attend I ask the gardians to alow me food and medicine to give me some ch[ance] to get well to work for my own living but the bear all to the house doctor our master no gentleman ne[ver] came near the place the as got such a low name he can turn the gardians any way but I think it would be very wise of them to take the trouble to find him out and not punish us poor people as I am suffering from bad dises is it the law for me to have no hope but to die a lingering death when others doctors say with a little food and medicine I could me curied me starving and this master living of on the best of the land and making money from the parish and being a secretary to a club if not two I dont think it is fair to alow him bet me beg of you to do something for me
I am from one place to the other trying to get a bit of breate to keep me alive but I am trusting you will attent to my case and I will go the next board at the Llanfylling union to meet the [board]
Brutus Lloyd
1 Error for “sending”?
1. Lloyd refers to his situation as a “case”. He considers this a legal proceeding when he asks “is it the law for me to have no hope but to die a lingering death”. What impression of paupers do you get from this letter?
2. Are you sympathetic to Lloyd? Why/Why not?
3. Read the Circumtext carefully. To what extent do the Guardians/commissioners show sympathy?