The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-01-07 00:00:00

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

The weekly meeting of this Board was held
yesterday; Mr. Granger in the chair. There
were also present:— Messrs. Brooks, Wood,
Billingham, Bird, Darby, Fereday, Guest, Higgs
Peskin, Plant, Powell, Raybould, and Rhodes.
Tho minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed. Admitted into the house during the
week, 33; discharged, 21; dead, d; remaining,
463. Corresponding week last year 461. Out-
door relief, Kingswinford district, £4O 3s 13 ;
Stourbridge district, £24 13s 23; Halesowen
district, £24 78 10d ; total, £B9 4s 13, against
£94 4s 5d last year.
. _ _

Mr. Plant ga;le notice that he should that day
fortnight call the attention of the Board to some
small parishes, which now form part of the Seis-
don Union, with a view that they may be added
to Kingswinford Union.

ELECTION OF A MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE
UNION.

This being the day appointed to elect a house
surgeon in the place of Mr. Ireland kresigned,,
there was only ono application.
Mr. Fereday proposed, and Mr. Bird seconded,
that Mr. John Thompson be elected house-sur-
geon, at a salaw of £5l per annum. Mr. Fere-
day said that Mr. Thompson had assisted as
house-surgeon for the last four years, and he
thought him well quelled.
Carried unanimously.
Mr. Thompson was called before the Board,
and informed of the appointment; and in refer-
ence to the question of superannuation was told
that a man must be medical officer to the house
for twenty years before he as entitled to it, and
over the age of 60.
The Clerk reported that Mary Whitnioor,
nurse, had tendered her resignation ; which was
accepted.

MEETING OF ST. JOHN'S BURIAL CLUB.—
PRESENTATION TO THE Rev. T. WILLIAIIB.—The
annual tea meeting in connection with St. John's
Burial Club was held in St. John's Schoobroom,
on Monday evening. The Burial Club of St.
John's was started by the Rev. T. Williams.
about eight yews ago. It commenced with 40
ir embers, and now there are 283. The object
of the club is to have a certain sum at the deal Ii
of a relative. Mr. Williams has laboured ardu-
ously for the club for eight years, and it is chiefly
through him that it has been so successful. The
club was started with the object of saving the
lid spent at the public house monthly club
meetings, and the money that was saved in that
manner was set aside for ordinary expenses.
Peisons who become members receive at the
death of a relative above 12 years of age £5,
and under that age £2 be, After tea, to which
about 200 sat down, a presentation of a time-
piece and a handsome volume entitled "Sacred
Poems," was made to the Rev. T. Williams.
The Rev. J. W. J. Welch presided, and spoke
at some length as to the advantages derived from
, such societies, and considered that Mr. Williams
had done all he could in starting and keeping on
, a society which was so largely increasing. It
, gave him great pleasure to be present to witness
such an interesting ceremony as a presentation
to Mr. Williams. He then called on Mr. The-
bridge, the Secretary of the Club, to read the
following address;—" Reverend and dear Sir,—
We, the members of St. John's Burial Club,
having considered the many ways in which dur-
ing the time you have laboured amongst us as
our minister you have done everything you could
for our spiritual and temporal welfare, both by
faithfully preaching the gospel, and causing the
same to be carried from house to house, and that
when you saw the great ignorance that prevailed
amongst us, you with great labour provided
schools for the instruction of our children, which
we feel to be a great boon; and bearing in mind
that in temporal matters you have helped us or
rather taught us to help ourselves by establish-
ing a Clothing Club, in which we are able to lay
by a few pence weekly, which we find very useful
at the end of the year to buy warm clothing for
the winter; and that when you saw the difficulty
in which we were placed when any of our friends
died you also established a Burial Club to which
you have acted as treasurer for the last eight
-y
ears. Feeling grateful, therefore, for this
kindness and consideration on your part, we
wish to show our gratitude by asking you to ac-
cept a timepiece and a book as pledges of our
love and respect; and that you may be spared
for many years to labour amongst us, is the ear-
nest wish and prayer of the members of the
above society.—January 2nd, 1871."—The Rev.
T. Williams expressed his gratification at the
kind manner in which they had presented him
with the timepiece and book. He had been in
the town 14 years, and during that time had re-
ceived many presents; but he could say from
his heart that not one of them had given him
more delight than that memorial of their kind-
ness. He had always had their welfare at heart,
and he had always tried to do what he could for
their benefit, and he had been successful; and
he WAS exceedingly happy at their presenting to
him the handsome timepiece and valuable book.
It would be treasured by him and by his 0,0.
dren after him. Ho considered there was a
great change in the moral condition of his dis-
trict, since he came into the parish ; but at the
same time he must not take the credit of it all
himself, as he had received valuable assistance
from several kind friends. They had much to
be thankful for. They had built new schools,
and could accommodate 400 children in the town,
more than one-fourth of the accommodation re-
quired by the Poor Law Board, lie must not
forget also to thank those ladies who had been