LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
Court rolls survive for
the Earl of Stafford's manors of Eastington and
Alkerton for the period 1377-90, (fn. 80) for Alkerton
manor alone for 1424-8, (fn. 81) and for both manors for
1438-79, (fn. 82) 1504-5, 1514, (fn. 83) 1555-6, (fn. 84) and 1578; (fn. 85)
there is a court book for both manors covering
the period 1600-48. (fn. 86) Apart from the earlier 16th
century when joint courts were held, during the
period covered by the surviving records separate
courts were held for each manor, although on the
same day; two courts a year were generally held.
View of frankpledge was originally exercised only
in Alkerton manor and presentments at its court were
made by a tithingman as well as by the homage; by
1555, however, the view was also being claimed for
Eastington manor which had its tithingman. The
Alkerton court dealt with assaults and affrays
until the early 17th century, and it enforced the
assizes of bread and ale, presentments being made by
ale-tasters in the late 14th century. In 1451 the
court ordered that stocks and a tumbrel should be
provided. In the late 14th century both manor courts
heard pleas of trespass, debt, and covenant; the
pleas were settled by compurgation, defendants
requiring variously 3, 6, or 12 compurgators. In
1441 and 1442 both courts ordered that no tenant
should implead another in any other court in causes
that could be decided in the manor courts, but few
pleas were recorded later; an isolgted plea of trespass
was heard in the Alkerton court in 1604. The joint
court elected a constable and hayward in 1555-6,
and the constable was appointed by the Alkerton
court in the early 17th century, particular houses
being liable in turn to supply the office. (fn. 87) The
Alkerton court may have exercised some jurisdiction
over the Amey Court manor, as well as the Earl of
Stafford's manor of Alkerton, in the late Middle
Ages (fn. 88) and it certainly did so after the two manors
came under the same ownership in the late 16th
century. (fn. 89) The right to hold both Eastington and
Alkerton manor courts was sold with the manors in
1802, (fn. 90) but they have not been found recorded later.
Churchwardens' accounts for the parish survive
from 1616, (fn. 91) overseers' accounts for the years
1724-1828, (fn. 92) vestry minutes from 1825, (fn. 93) and
highway surveyors' accounts for 1739-1817. (fn. 94)
In the 18th century separate rates were levied for
the two tithings, and one of the two churchwardens,
overseers, and surveyors was responsible for each. (fn. 95)
In the 17th century and early 18th the office of
churchwarden fell to particular houses in rotation. (fn. 96)
The usual forms of poor-relief were administered
in the earlier 18th century. (fn. 97) In 1785 the parish
owned five cottages: one was near Leigh Bridge on
the Frocester boundary, another, to the east of
Millend, was used as an isolation hospital, (fn. 98) and
the others were presumably the three at Claypits
sold by the parish in 1838. (fn. 99) The cost of poorrelief more than doubled in the period 1726-72,
and then stayed fairly stable until 1790 when a
sharp rise began, trebling the cost by 1810. (fn. 1) In
1803 a total of 80 paupers were receiving permanent
relief, 104 were receiving occasional relief, and there
were 19 disabled; (fn. 2) in 1815 a total of 5 were receiving
permanent and 57 occasional relief. The cost of
relief fell considerably between 1810 and 1815, (fn. 3)
but there was another sharp rise in the late 1820's, (fn. 4)
and in 1829 the rector agreed to reduce his tithes
under pressure from the farmers who complained
of the high poor rates; the rector blamed Henry
Hicks for the distress because he had brought a
numerous population into the parish and then refused
to give work to any but the first-rate weavers. (fn. 5)
Among the methods adopted by the parish to
combat the rising poor rates was the building of a
parish workhouse near Chippenham Platt in 1785; (fn. 6)
in 1803 it housed 25 of the paupers whose work
earned £69 in that year, (fn. 7) but there were only 4
paupers there in 1815. (fn. 8) A keeper of the workhouse
was appointed in 1819. (fn. 9) Two looms bought by the
parish in 1827 were presumably for use in the
workhouse. (fn. 10) There was a salaried general overseer
for the parish in 1807, (fn. 11) and in the early 1830's, (fn. 12)
but from 1785 to 1791 and in the mid 1820's the
poor were farmed. (fn. 13) A parish doctor was retained
from 1817 or earlier. (fn. 14) In 1833 a select vestry was
formed. (fn. 15) In 1835 the parish became part of the
Wheatenhurst Union. (fn. 16) The workhouse was sold to
the guardians, (fn. 17) and, rebuilt as a long three-story
brick building with a central pediment, served as the
union workhouse; (fn. 18) in 1968 it was a county council
welfare home, the Willows Hostel. In 1935 Eastington
was transferred with the rest of the Wheatenhurst
Rural District to the Gloucester Rural District. (fn. 19)