Product Ref: FHF-067
Compleat Parish Officer, The (Seventh Edition)
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Originally published in the early 18th century, The Compleat Parish Officer is a comprehensive legal and procedural manual for the various officers who administered English parishes under the Poor Law system. This seventh edition, faithfully reproduced by the Wiltshire Family History Society, provides a fascinating window into the responsibilities and powers of local officials such as:
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Constables
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Overseers of the Poor
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Surveyors of the Highways
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Scavengers
The book includes the full wording of relevant statutes, particularly the Great Poor Law Act of 1601 and its amendments, along with case law interpretations. These legal frameworks governed everything from poor relief and settlement rights to road maintenance and local justice.
What makes this edition especially useful for family historians is its relevance to “parish chest” material—the administrative records often encountered when researching ancestors who served in or interacted with local governance.
Why It’s Useful for Genealogists
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Helps interpret parish records involving local officials
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Explains the legal context behind settlement certificates, bastardy bonds, and apprenticeship indentures
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Offers insight into the social structure and obligations of early modern communities
ISBN : 9781898714217