Poor Relief in New Malton

Description:Another document amongst Sir Thomas's papers is entitled ‘An assesment made the 30th of Aprill 1672 for the weekly releife of the poore’. This Assessment details the poor rates for the Parish of ‘St Leonards’ in New Malton, listing the names of people required to pay money and the amounts they were assessed as being eligible to pay. These amounts ranged from a few pence to over three pounds per week.

The document demonstrates the active role of MP Sir Thomas Gower and the New Malton borough authorities in providing relief for the poor. The assessment indicates that poor rates were divided by Parish and donated on a weekly basis from the income of more wealthy tenants.

In addition to listing the names of tenants, the document tells us about the type of work undertaken by MPs and borough authorities during the late seventeenth century, such as overseeing the distribution of money to the poor.