orkhouse" at or before
Lady Day when the lease of Whitehall expired. But Mr. Kennedy was
master of the situation and his appointment included the hire of the
house, and the dead-lock continued. The parish so far {41} humbled
themselves as to offer Mr. Kennedy, if he would leave, to pay him
anything he desired for his trouble, and "to provide him with lodging
at any Inn in the town he might think proper." Mr. Kennedy was given
till "next Sunday" to reply, and he then sent a message, apparently by
one of the paupers, obstinately stating that he "had thought of all the
inconvenience he could that would attend him in complying with what the
gentlemen requested him to do" and that "Mr. Kennedy could think of
nothing but his agreement." Another attempt with a substantial bonus
was held out, but Mr. Kennedy was not to be conciliated. Two days
afterwards another ruse was tried by a notice to Mr. K. that there was
a complaint about the clothing of the paupers as being "unfit for
publick appearance at Church," and that they "appointed Mr. Bunyan to
appraise the clothes and fixtures." The redoubtable Mr. K. was again
equal to the occasion, and refused Mr. Bunyan admission! Eventually he
vacated the premises upon the time of his appointment expiring, when
Mr. Bunyan's valuation went against Mr. K. to the tune of about L50,
for the recovery of which Mr. K. was threatened with Mr. Day, the
attorney, but somehow covered his retreat and disappears from our view!

As to the treatment of paupers, this was so far considerate that a set
of new rules framed in 1785 were actually submitted to the paupers for
"hearing their objections to the rules," which were then "settled
between the Committee and the paupers"!

Where, in some of the surrounding parishes, the parish officers catered
for the paupers in the "House," entries for "bacca" and "snuff" (bought
by the parish) are as frequent as tea and sugar in the accounts. In
some cases, as in the parish of Barkway, the Workhouse and care of the
poor were let to a labouring man. Thus in 1771--

"Thomas Climmons, labourer, agreed to farm the Workhouse and maintain
the poor of the parish of Barkway, undertaking to provide good
wholesome eatables and drinkables and decent wearing apparel for L143
for one year. All persons paying rates being entitled to inspect the
place. Signed, Thomas Climmons, his mark." Thomas Jordan, blacksmith,
signed a similar agreement with "his mark" in 1776, a