Lolworth: Local government

Local government

In 1279 the lord was entitled to hold view of frankpledge twice a year with the king's bailiff present. (fn. 1) No manorial court rolls have been traced. In 1691 orders concerning common rights were made by agreement of the chief inhabitants. (fn. 2) About 1800 the parish had too few prosperous people to furnish more than one churchwarden, (fn. 3) so that one of the two or three farmers served that office continuously for 10-20 years at a time, while another acted as overseer and highway surveyor, all the farmers together forming the vestry. (fn. 4)

Expenditure on the poor rose from £10 in 1776 to £128 in 1803, when 14 adults were regularly assisted, (fn. 5) and averaged £50 in 1813- 14, when 6 were on the rates. (fn. 6) Thereafter, except c. 1821, it ranged between £35 and £60 until 1830, (fn. 7) when large families were given allowances. (fn. 8) In the early 1830s the poor rates again increased to over £80 a year. (fn. 9) From 1835 Lolworth was included in the St. Ives poor-law union, (fn. 10) with whose Cambridgeshire portion it belonged to Swavesey rural district from 1894 (fn. 11) to 1934, when it was transferrred to Chesterton rural district. From 1974 it was part of South Cambridgeshire district. (fn. 12) In 1894 management of parish business passed from the vestry, usually chaired by the rector, to the parish meeting. (fn. 13)