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The Demise of The Vestry Council
1894
For many centuries the social and financial
affairs of St. Keverne resided in the hands of a
small group of people drawn from the Church
Vestry, local gentry and the more affluent
farmers and tradesmen. It was their duty to
maintain law and order, repair roads and provide
extremely elementary education for the children.
But above all to look after the destitute and
needy of the Parish. The finance for all of this
was raised by a tax, levied upon local people who
were in the position to pay. The rising
population and the return of destitute soldiers
from the war with France put an ever increasing
burden upon the local people.
Central Government had for some years become
aware of this and it was to become more and more
involved in affairs in the county. The industrial
revolution and all its social problems was to
hasten this involvement. By 1849 Central
Government were subsidising local education
throughout the country to the sum of
£900,000.
In 1862 Highways Boards were formed and by 1888
the responsibility for main roads lay in the
hands of the County. Though many, many secondary
roads were not tarmaced until the 1930's. In
1840 Central establishments for the poor and sick
was to lift the burden from local Parishes.
'Helston Union' was built and set up at
this time. We know it today as Meneage Hospital.
So after a length of time going back to the early
Middle Ages, the burden of authority was finally
lifted in 1894 from the shoulders of the Church
Vestry Council.
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