es of the tenants, while the feoffees seem
to have stood by and tacitly approved of so simple an arrangement.

The Charity is still in the hands of feoffees, and at the time of
writing this a new scheme for its administration is under the
consideration of the Charity Commissioners.

Naturally an important part of the functions of the Parochial
Parliament was that of providing for those who could not, and often for
those who would not, provide for themselves. In many villages this had
to be done by the Churchwardens and Overseers meeting after service in
the Church on Sunday afternoons. In Royston, however, and probably in
the larger villages, the business was transacted in pretty much the
same way as the Vestry business already referred to.

Whether in the villages or the town the "indoor" relief of the poor was
at best like a system of farming on short leases; indeed, "farming the
paupers" was the usual description of it, and the Vestry advertised,
not for a master of the Workhouse, but "a Workhouse to let," was the
very common form of announcement when the Overseers were in want of
someone to "farm" the paupers.

What a village Workhouse was like may be gathered, by making due
allowance for the difference in population, from the following
particulars of the palatial establishment which did duty at Royston
during the last, and for a third of the present century. It stood on
the west side of the Warren next the London Road (now Godfrey's
terrace). It was a thatched building, occasionally mended with clay
from the clay pit in the Green Walk valley. It had no water supply of
its own, for the parish paid Daniell Ebbutt 5s. a year for the use of
his well in 1774, raised to 7s. 6d. in 1777; while in 1805, water cost
L4 a year; probably purchased of the water carrier at the door. It had
a garden, for the parish paid, in 1772, for "Beans and Tatos" to plant
in it. There was also a pig-sty attached, and the whole place was
insured against fire for only 10s. a year premium, for L250 on the
building and L50 on the contents.

The Workhouse children were taught to spin, and had the decided
advantage of being taught to read and write, apparently, for their
"schooling" cost the parish 2d. a head, paid to Henry Watson. The {40}
Workhouse was regularly visited by two members of the Committee
appointed in rotation to that office. In villages the Workhouse
administration was open to the inspection of any ratepayer. Before