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A HISTORY OF RUTLAND The early inclosing movement in Rutland, as in other Midland counties, was accompanied by a considerable amount of distress among certain classes, because inclosure tihere largely meant the conversion of arable land to grass, and as Rutland was a purely agricultural county there were no industrial towns to which the unemployed ploughmen, sowers, and reapers could mio-rate. It is during these early transitional times that we find Rutland fairly rich in charities, these taking the form either of gifts or bequests of money or land for the relief of the poor. Unfortunately these gifts were administered not always according to the wishes of the donor. Thus money intended in 1616 for poor tenants on any of Lady Harington's lands in Hambleton was sometimes given to other poor people in the same place who were tenants of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln, to the exclusion of those for whom the money had been provided.^"* But this, though a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, was not such a serious misappropriation as one which occurred in Exton. There it was found that ' divers of the rich substantiall inhabitants ' had been receiving loaves of white bread every Sunday for many years. The mistake was a natural one, as the donor, John Rattibie, formerly of Exton Rectory, had left money for the purpose of giving bread to poor tenants of certain cottages in Exton in which he had boarded. As the tenants of these cottages were now (i.e. in 1688) too well off to be eligible, it was arranged that the bread should be distributed amongst the poorest inhabitants of Exton. ^"^ Various charities in Tinwell were also mis- appropriated, including one intended for the education and clothing of poor children in that parish.'"^ At Belton in 1630 when Leighfield Forest in Rutland was disafforested, the freeholders in Belton who had rights of common within the forest received in lieu of their rights certain inclosed lands. To the honour of these freeholders they refused to accept their allot- ments, or to concert or agree with the commissioners until some provision had been made for the poor of the parish. It was accordingly arranged that these freeholders or their descendants should ever afterwards hold in trust for the use of the poor of Belton a close of land lying within the forest of Leighfield called Fairashsall or Fairashcotesall, containing 34 acres. The commissioners of 1688 found that the rents and profits arising from this land had sometimes been misemployed by ' illdesigning men ' who had endeavoured to appropri- ate the same to their own cottages and tenements for their own private benefit.i"^ At the time of the commission (1688) many of the charities mentioned in the returns were about one hundred years old. In Rutland friendly societies have played a considerable part in helping to relieve and raise the poorer classes and in keeping down the poor rates. In 1795 there were such societies in Oakham, Empingham, and North Luf- fenham. The chief object was to procure support in old age, sickness, and other infirmities. The most important society of all was one established in 1785 "' by the justices of the peace and members of most of the parishes in Rutland for the encouragement of industry among the poor. It was first proposed by the Rev. Thomas Foster of Ryhall. The poor rates in the '"' P.R.O. Proc. as to Charitable Uses, bdle. 43, no. 28. ™ Ibid. bdle. 43, no. 30. '" Ibid. bdle. 83, no. 26 ; bdle. 43, no. 31. '"» Ibid. bdle. 43, no. 29. "* Crutchley, Gen. Fieui of the Agric. of Rut. 25. 224