Mansfield 11 August 1855.
May it please your Honours to observe and answer me in note back if you think well. i your humble servant requesteth of you to observe & listen to my complaint that is i am by trad a [needleworker] but work aving failed by most of my profession – I am under necessitey to appeailing to your Onner – I am above 60 years (69) & no imployment could do a little work but aving none & not so well as i might be through being underkept – & by no means of subsist but by the help of my poore children out of thear scanty earnings – & being at the mercy of them by the help of a chariteyble friend – J. Applyde to the Relieving Officer named Spencer & offered me an order to go in the union – but, Sir I do not wish to have my little home broke up & my children going astray like lost sheep aving no sheppard. This is a reason I do not like to take the house & by ard labour in my life ave awlways endeavoured to keep out of the house – thay say thay will not neather give me Test work nor any thing else without I will go in the Union – but my Whife ses she will sooner go a begging than be under Lock & kee & made a prisoner for poverty.
My poor Child pays my rent & poore rates for me and i think it unfair to ave nothing in case of stoppage in trade – Sir I read by the Review Paper as your honourable house ad ordered out doore relief to abled body men dated June 14 1855 they declining to do aney further onley under the Test Act – i do appeal to you to know what remoidey i ad better take to Beg i am ashamed to Rob & thieve i should not like to break a rightous law would hurt my feelings to do justly & walk humbly with god will be my delight but now i am as like a prisoner for crime cannot turn out on the Lords day but compeld to hide my head through poverty by being not fit to be seen and i ave been obliged to ***** even my garments for bred till i am near at my witts end. Should the remeday be in your hands to help mee
I shall remain – your humble – Servant John Booth, No 8 Railway Side Mansfield Nottinghamshire.
Questions to consider
- Who else in the community is mentioned? What might this suggest?
- Are there any similarities in the sources you are studying?
- Do we think the comments in this would be typical? How might we be able to tell this?
- What does this suggest about the connections to the wider community for the poor?