Dear Mike I am sure it was an annual rent. That was the traditional way of doing things, and that would make much more sense of the amount too. best wishes Anne Original Message: ----------------- From: Mike YEGWART mike.yegwart@btinternet.com Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 21:49:28 +0100 To: ENG-WORCESTER-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [WOR] The Poor Rate Hi folks, The following is a direct quote from a Rent Book, including the period 1802-04: "A rate then and there made by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor for the Relief of the Poor of the said Parish for one month being sixpence in the pound." Josiah HANDS rent was £2 and the monthly rate was 6d. I think Josiah was a cobbler/cordwainer. £2 a month, £24 per year, seems an awful lot of money. My question is, was the rent more likely to be an annual amount? Has anyone any hard facts on cordwainers earnings to support their suppositions? -- Mike Yegwart Bromsgrove Branch Chairman BMSGH bmsgh.org ==== ENG-WORCESTER Mailing List ==== Transcribers wanted for Worcestershire FreeREG for more information see http://freereg.rootsweb.com UK Census on-line http://freecen.rootsweb.com/ http://www.worcestershiresurnames.co.uk/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .