ALT The writer claims that following the retirement of the late overseer the payments to the poor had ceased as the new overseer had nothing to distribute. Another overseer allegedly told the paupers that they should all be transported for the trouble they give, adding 'a vulgar Appellation known and used in Wales, this may be constructed as Slavery on the Increase in Bangor'. The anonymous writer adds a couplet, 'since Man to Man is so unjust, Tis hard to tell what Man to trust'. The letter ends that the guardians are very much to blame that they do not see justice done to the poor in the parish of Bangor and that it is not so at neighbouring parishes.

ALT This is the second of two letters from John David Owen concerning his 80 year old mother. Across the two letters he claims that she has been has been shamefully neglected by the relieving officer and guardians, and that her relief is insufficient to pay for someone to attend her and so she 'remains in great filth with horrid unwholesome regime and bad norishment.' Owens adds that he is a labourer with a family and children and unable to render her any aid out of his earnings. Interestingly Owen highlights in his first letter that wages in Wales is very low. He adds in his second letter that occasionally her relief money is delayed by 2-3 weeks thus exacerbating her poverty and increasing her distress. He entreats the Poor Law Commission to intervene on her behalf. The letter shown here, being written in Welsh, also has a contemporary English transcription written by one of the Poor Law Commission staff.

ALT "Anglesey Uni Tyn y Llain Gadfa Sepr. 27. 1866. Honoured Gentlemen I take the liberty of addressing myself before your Board. Stating. that I am unable to do a days work now this 10 months. and in the age of 65. years. and my wife unable. and in the age 67. years. and I must perfectly honest state that we are both in want of our daily food. as we get only 2s/- Each. per week. and we have [no] any other place to apply only to your board. for our maintenance for an advance per Wk. if the Board will be so kind as to take our case under your consideration. and if not we shall only starve to death. and either of us has no clothes to changes hoping we shall be heard by the Board. I remain Honoured Gettlemen your Most Obedient Hugh Rowland and Agnes Rowland". This is one of thousands of letters written by paupers/the wider poor, who lived in Wales.

ALT 17th October 1851 Machynlleth Union Parish of Llanwrin Gentlemen It is with great regret that I am again under the necessity of calling your attention to this matter, and were I not most the Guardians of this Union especially the one named in my last letter to you, I should never cause a pen to be put to paper on the subject. It would appear that the Guardians and Officials of this Union are vested with some strange authority, quite foreign and contrary to equity and Justice, and indeed to the Law of Humanity, otherwise they would not, as they have hitherto done tyrannized over us in our old age, and as it were on the verge of the Grave... We hope therefore that you will be pleased to make such orders on these Guardians that will be deemed most expedient to you, and give us that fair play which is – and will be, denied to us by the Parishioners of Llanwrin and the authorities of the Machynlleth Union so long as we live... Your most Obedt + hble [Servants] Robert + Mary Morgan

ALT Transcription … I have to state my case before your Bourd as to the treatment I recive from the Reliving Officer of the Parish Llangybi concerning myself wife and son/ my wife is blind and cant see/ and the Guardian ordered a boy of 11 years of age as a fit and proper person to look after her/ a thing he is not able to undertake/ when the Doctor comes to [Extricte] her eyes she requires a person of some knowledge to look after for a fortnight… to bath her continually after the operation takes place/ she was shamefully neglected owing to improper treatment when she entered the Work House the first two weeks as there was no person to look after her … Gentlemen I have offered the Guardian of Llangybi Parish, to take myself and Family from the Work House if he would allow me 3/6 a week what my wife gets for herself, and he offered me 1/6 what is a Parish good for but to Relive the poor and disable.... I am Gentlemen your humble obedient servant William Joseph WorkHouse Pwllheli.