LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
Laurence of St.
Martin (d. 1274) removed Little Fordham
manor from the sheriff's tourn, and in 1274
Thomas of St. Martin claimed gallows and view
of frankpledge with the assizes of bread and of
ale. (fn. 11) The gallows presumably stood at the later
Gallows green, called Gallow tye in 1584. (fn. 12) Free
warren was granted to Laurence of St. Martin
in 1247, and to John Bourchier in 1384. (fn. 13) John
Goldington was granted free warren in Aldham
Hall manor in 1328. (fn. 14)
Courts were held for Little Fordham in 1498,
and courts leet for the manor, then Bourchiers
Hall, in 1598. (fn. 15) The courts were held regularly
in the early 17th century, electing 1 constable
and 2 aletasters and dealing with offences such
as using false measures, taking in inmates, erect-
ing cottages with insufficient land, failing to
scour ditches, obstructing the river, and en-
croaching on the road. (fn. 16) By 1671 leets were held
infrequently, and they ceased after 1704. (fn. 17) In the
late 17th century courts baron were occasionally
held annually, but in the 18th century they were
usually held only every 3-4 years. (fn. 18)
The lords of Aldham Hall manor held courts
baron from 1325 or earlier. The chief business
was the conveyance of customary holdings and
the collection of heriots (apparently charged on
small freeholds in 1334 and 1439) and reliefs.
The court also dealt with small debts, stray
animals, and trespasses in the demesne crops or
the pannage. (fn. 19)
Courts were held for both manors until
1908. (fn. 20)
In 1675 there was a pound on the west side
of Gallows green, and in 1810 one on the north
side of the Halstead road, but in 1860 the magis-
trates ordered the erection of a pound. (fn. 21)
Payment was made for a cage in 1825. (fn. 22)
Easter vestries, recorded from 1754, were nor-
mally chaired by the rector or his curate and
attended by 7-10 parishioners, attendance
declining during the 18th century. About 6 other
meetings a year were held, usually in the church
vestry. In the periods 1757-78, 1781-8, and
1828 only 1 churchwarden was elected or
re-elected. (fn. 23) In 1754 the churchwardens were
empowered to act as additional overseers, and
in 1828 the sole churchwarden was also over-
seer. Two overseers, 2 constables, and 2 sur-
veyors were appointed regularly, the overseers
serving for 6 months each. In 1757 a widow
served as overseer. Constables were appointed
until 1872. (fn. 24)
In 1584 Aldham had many impotent poor,
and in 1589 Petty Sessions met at Fordham ford,
near the house of one of the chief constables, to
deal with local unemployment. (fn. 25) There was a
workhouse by 1757, apparently at Westons on
Gallows green. Paupers there span wool in
the 1780s. The house was enlarged in 1801 and
was leased by the overseers until c. 1835. (fn. 26)
Two other houses were used as pauper housing
in 1783. (fn. 27)
In 1753 three adults and 3 children, and by
1782 twelve people, received regular out-relief. (fn. 28)
By 1800 weekly payments were made to 33
families with young children, and between 1817
and 1819 a flour allowance was given to families
with 4 or more children. Several poor families
received bread in 1836. Between 1819 and 1822
payments were made to unemployed men and
those on low wages, and in 1823 men were
employed in the gravel pit. In 1833 the vestry
resolved to levy a labour rate, based on a wage
of 9s. a week, to help provide employment.
In 1830 one man was helped to emigrate to
New York. (fn. 29)
Expenditure on poor relief rose from c. £120
in 1776 to an average of c. £211 between 1783
and 1785 and to £338 in 1803. (fn. 30) By 1813 it had
reached £792 or £2 1s. per head of population,
one of the highest rates in the hundred. It
dropped to £18s. a head in 1814 and remained
well below that thereafter, except in 1820 and
1831. In most years up to 1836 expenditure, at
18s.-25s. a head, remained about average for
the hundred. (fn. 31)