Add MS 78698 M

M. Richard Dunning, ‘Gent.’, of co. Devon: Letter to John Fortescue, lawyer, of Exeter, asking him ‘to promote the inclosed’ and promising that Mr Durant will bring ‘a fit number of the last & of the new for each Justice’; circa 1727-1735. The work in question may have been the printed tract by ‘a philo Devonian’ entitled A Devonshire hospital (1727), the British Library copy (103.l.50) which, besides an addition made to p. 50 in Dunning’s hand, carries an extra printed leaf bearing the approbations of three of the Devon J.P.s mentioned here. Also mentioned is Sir Matthew Hale’s Discourse touching provision for the poor (1683) as a precursor of Dunning’s own A plain and easie method: shewing how the office of overseer of the poor may be managed (1686), or perhaps his Bread for the poor (1698). A postscript speaks of difficulties in assembling J.P.s to audit the accounts of overseers of the poor in the county, mentioning those of Mr Durant. Purchased from J. L. M. Gulley, 3 July 2002.

Paper: f. 50. Watermarked with a double-headed flower between the letters ‘E G’. Two apparently contemporary hands have jotted the dates ‘Michael[?mas] 1733’ in pencil and below it ‘1735’ in ink.

Poor Law: Richard Dunning, of county Devon: John Fortescue, lawyer, of Exeter: Sir Matthew Hale, judge: Letter to John Fortescue from Richard Dunning rel. to Sir Matthew Hale: circa 1727-1735.