LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Court rolls for the manor of Frocester survive for 1291 and 1412, (fn. 92) for most years in the periods 1610-40 (fn. 93) and 1663-90, (fn. 94) and for several years in the period 1811-54. (fn. 95) The court was concerned only with tenurial matters, except that in the early 19th century, when it met at the George Inn, it elected a constable and hayward.

A vestry minute book commencing in 1836 is the only record of parish government known to have survived. (fn. 96) The parish had two churchwardens from the 16th century, (fn. 97) and two overseers by 1602. (fn. 98) There was the usual sharp rise in the cost of poor relief in the late 18th and early 19th centuries but after c. 1820 the cost remained fairly stable. About 20 people were usually receiving permanent relief in the early 19th century; (fn. 99) in 1834 it was said that there were 80 labourers in the parish whereas 55 would be sufficient to cultivate the land, and the scale of relief given was related to the price of bread and the size of family. (fn. 1) In 1835 Frocester became part of the Wheatenhurst Union, (fn. 2) and in 1935 was transferred with the rest of Wheatenhurst Rural District to the Gloucester Rural District. (fn. 3)

Footnotes