Middlesex Sessions:
Sessions Papers - Justices' Working Documents
SM | PS

April 1786

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1783, when two occasional Vessels, called Wherrys, were hired for the pur-
pose

THAT by a particular account taken from the Custom-house Books at the
Port of Liverpool it appears that, exclusive of the Packets, the Vessels of
above 20 tons burden, occasionally failing from thence to different part of
Ireland in the year 1783 were 842, and in the year 1784 were 746 in number.

THAT according to the proportion of one vagrant to every 20 tons burden
of all the said Packets and occasional Vessels failing from the Port of Liver-
pool in the years 1783 and 1784, the whole number of Vagrants which the
Magistrates of the County of Lancaster had a right to send from the Port of
Liverpool to Ireland during the year 1783 was 2164, and during the year
1784 was 1994.

THAT it appears to the Committee from authentic information that the
City of Bristol has annually been at a considerable expence in sending over to
Ireland the Vagrants belonging to that Kingdom, at the rate of 5s. per head,
and 1s.6d. for necessary stores for each Person; and that the number of Va-
grants sent from Bristol to Ireland in the year 1784 was 387, and the expence
about £200. That the expences in 1782 wee about £600, and in 1783
£480; but that no particular account has been transmitted to this Committee
of the number of Vagrants sent in the two last mentioned years. That the
Vagrants are usually sent from Bristol to the nearest Port in Ireland , and the
Principal number to Cork .

THAT the number of Vessels above 20 tons burden which have failed from
the Port of Bristol to Ireland , during the last year, have been 121. And by
an account taken of the Tonnage of such Vessels, it appears that the whole
number of Vagrants which could during the last year have been sent from the
burden of each respective Vessel, was 308.

THAT many Irish Vagrants which have been apprehended in the County of
Middlesex , and in Counties to which Park-gate or Liverpool are not the
nearest Sea Ports, have been improperly sent to Park-gate or Liverpool , in-
stead of being conveyed to the Ports nearest to the places where they were ap-
prehended, and from whence they might have been most convenienty shipped
to the Kingdom of Ireland .

THAT those Irishmen who come to work in the Harvest are in general Na-
tives of the South West parts of Ireland , and there is reason to suppose that
it is a common practice with them to collect all the Money they have earned,
and to intrust some one or more of their Companions to carry over the Wages
of a great Number of them, who being then without money, commit acts
of Vagrancy, by begging, Etc.

THAT the from of the Pass prescribed by the Statute of the 17th Geo. II.
C. 5. has not been adhered to by the Magistrates of several Counties on their
passing




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