LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
No evidence of a
manorial court has been found. There were Preston presentments to the Bradford hundred court
in 1590 and 1592. (fn. 8)
Records of the appointment of an overseer of
the poor survive from 1727, two overseers being
appointed annually from 1739. In 1763 the system
changed and £10 was paid to Richard Mansel for
keeping the poor, although some payments were
also made directly to individuals. During the 18th
century money was disbursed on clothing, house
repairs, and pensions, the amount fluctuating
between c. £4 and £15. (fn. 9) There was no poorhouse.
Preston was in the Wellington poor-law union
1836-1930. (fn. 10)
There was apparently only one churchwarden
being appointed for much of the 18th century. (fn. 11)
Records of the parish surveyor of highways survive from 1791 to 1827. They show money raised
by levies being spent on labour and materials for
raising and draining the parish roads. (fn. 12) Preston
became part of Wrekin highway district in 1863, (fn. 13)
and was part of Wellington rural district from its
inception until 1974 (fn. 14) when it became part of
Wrekin district. (fn. 15) Part of the south-east of the
parish was included in 1968 in the designated area
of Telford new town. (fn. 16)
Footnotes
| 8 |
P.R.O., SC 2/197/96; Staffs. R.O., D. 593/J/10, ct. r. m.
1d. |
| 9 |
S.R.O. 4608/P/1. |
| 10 |
V. J. Walsh, 'Admin. of Poor Laws in Salop. 1820-55'
(Pennsylvania Univ. Ph.D. thesis, 1970), 148-50 (copy in
S.R.O.); Kelly's Dir. Salop. (1929), 196. |
| 11 |
S.R.O. 4608/CW/1-2; /P/1. |
| 12 |
S.R.O. 4608/H/1. |
| 13 |
S.R.O., q. sess. order bk. 1861-9, p. 127. |
| 14 |
V.C.H. Salop. ii. 217. |
| 15 |
Sources cited ibid. iii. 169, n. 29. |
| 16 |
Dawley New Town (Designation) Amendment (Telford)
Order 1968 (Stat. Instr. 1968, no. 1912). |