-whatever his vicissitudes in life he was bound
to be buried in wool when he died. They might "rattle his bones over
the stones," but he was certain to get his pound of wool to be buried
in, not as an act of consideration to the pauper, but as an important
piece of that extensive legislation for the encouragement of the
woollen industry which figures more often in the Statute book of this
realm than any other subject. With every funeral was required an
affidavit that the deceased when buried was it "not wrapped up in any
suit, sheet, or shroud, but what was made of sheep's wool only." A
carpenter's bill for a pauper's funeral generally read "for a coffin
and a pound of Woole for A.B.," with frequent items for beer, as "for
beer for laying out old Grig, and putting him in the coffin," "laying
out, one pot of beer," "putting in coffin, one pot of beer," and
"carrying to church, two pots of beer," &c., &c.

The casual disbursements of a parish afford, both for their subject
matter and style, a variety of curious entries.

The years 1769 to 1773 afforded abundant evidence of the terrible
prevalence of what are now considered preventible diseases. Over and
over again as a reason for temporary relief being granted, the phrase
is added "Bad with feaver," or "A Bad Feaver," and many are the entries
which refer to Small-pox.

Of relief in kind perhaps the following item is one of the most
original in the history of the Poor-law:--

L s. d.
Gave James D---- for an Ass . . . . . . . . 0 8 0

to which is added that the Overseer paid to Mr. Beldam this J. D.'s
rent.

A system which afforded a man a house rent free and provided him with a
donkey for his business was, to say the least, rather different from
Guardians in the leading-strings of the Local Government Board!

Nick names in the old parish accounts are abundant and also many
Christian names not often used now. Thus:--Peg Woods, Nel J----, Old
Nib, Royston Molley, Old Grig, and Hercules Powell. The last named was
the Parish Constable in 1780, and he had a name at least calculated to
warn off offenders!

One common characteristic of these entries of the Overseers, but more
especially in the Parish Constable's accounts, was the extraordinary
liberty taken in the spelling of words! In a general way Dogberry,
especially, was a spelling reformer, in so far as he went in for a
phonetic spelling, but many entries