The poor Act of 1697 operated within the framework of the Act for the relief of the poor act of 1601. All welfare recipients, including wife and children of the head of the household had to wear badges on their right shoulders. The badges would have the first letter “G” for Goytre followed by the letter P (for parish.)
The penalty for not wearing a badge was whipping and imprisonment, the overseers providing relief would be fined 20s per offence. The Act changed in 1782 when it allowed “paupers of good character” to leave off the badge. The badge system was repealed in 1810.
I may be wrong but I have, through several mentions in the parish overseers accounts come to the conclusion that the original poor house was attached to Pellenny House, then in 1803 Nyth Catty was built to house the poor of the parish. Goytre also took in paupers from the surrounding parishes including Llanover and Mamhilad.
The following is just an example of how many parishioners needed help and what they received.
1779 – Anne Brooke, a pauper. John Morgan, a pauper. Elizabeth Widow, a pauper
1780 – Mary Jenkins, widow of Walter Jenkins yeoman, a pauper
1781 – Mary Morgan, a pauper
1783 – Elizabeth Jenkins, alias Gwylym, a pauper
1786 – Catherine Jones, a pauper
1790 – Phillips, a pauper. Ann James, a pauper. John Williams, son of Richard Williams, a pauper.
1791 – Walter Prosser, a pauper. Ann a pauper
1792 – Richard Philip Watkins, a pauper. William Samson, a pauper
1793 – Elizabeth Thomas, a pauper
1800 – Paid £9 4s 0d to the workhouse
1801 – Paid £8 0s 0d to the workhouse, straw for the workhouse 2s
1802 – Allowed Walter Griffiths (overseer of the poor) for the workhouse 14s
1804 – Straw for the workhouse 4s
1806 – Henry Lewis in the workhouse £6 10s. Shirt and trousers 8/11d
1808 – Decision to build a house for Catherine Jenkins on a plot of land belonging to the parish at the expense of the parish, to be called Kitty’s Nest
1808 – Henry Lewis in the workhouse, £6 10s. Jacket and trousers 13s
1808 – Richard Morgan Evan in the workhouse, £3 18s. A shirt 5s, breeches 9s
1808 – William Morgan in the workhouse for 27 weeks at 1s 6d. Removing to the workhouse 2s 6d
1808 – for mending the workhouse window 7s 6d
1808 – George Williams, a pauper. Margaret Lewis, a pauper
1809 – Henry Lewis, Mary Williams, Richard Morgan Evan, William Morgan, all in the workhouse. Additional rent for the workhouse for half a year 7s 6d. Straw for the workhouse 8s
1812 – Charles Leek, pauper. Catherine Jenkins, pauper
1813 – Candia Morgan 1s 6d a week, paid out £3 18s
1814 – Candia Morgan 42 weeks at 1s 6d, paid out £3 3s 0d. Funeral £1 1s 0d.
1814 – Henry Lewis £8 4s 5d
1814 – Richard Morgan Evan 46 weeks and funeral costs £5 0s 10d
1814 – The following deaths from the workhouse were recorded. Richard Evans aged 61, Samuel Saunders aged 40 and Peter Edwards aged 32
1815 – Daniel Jones and his sister. Cost of Irish cloth £7 18s 7d
1815 – On account of enlarging the property called Kitty’s Nest £7 1s 8d. Straw and coal £1 6s 6d.
1816 – Henry Lewis cost the parish £6 14s 3d. Daniel Jones £7 8s 7d. A journey to to Pontypool for David Jones to the doctor and to bring him to the workhouse in a cart cost £5 0s 4d
1817 – Henry Lewis cost the parish £6 10s 0d. For his shirt and trousers another 7s 9d. Elizabeth Pritchard work her keep, clothing and shoes cost £7 17s 6d. The overseers paid 3s for straw, 8s for coal and 2s 8d for mending windows.
1818 – Ann Nicholas was an out pauper living with William Jones for which he was paid 2s 6d for 37 weeks. William Rosser was paid 2s 3d for 15 weeks. John Prosser, residing with Mary Francis was paid £7 2s 6d. Henry Lewis, in the workhouse received £6 10s 0d. A shirt, shoes, jacket and breeches cost £7 4s 0d. Elizabeth Pritchard in the workhouse and lodging cost £6 10s 0d, her stockings one halfpenny. Mary Yorath was given 3s for 37 weeks. Margaret Watkin had 32 weeks at 4s per week.
1819 – Ann Nicholas lodging with William Rosser received 2s for 52 weeks and her clothing cast 7s 2d. John Prosser lodged with Mary Francis and received 2s 6d for 48 weeks. Henry Lewis had a new smock which cost 4s and two pairs of breeches at a cost of 9s 6d. Elizabeth Pritchard was in the workhouse and her new shoes cost 5s, handkerchief 1s 3d, caps 1s 6d, smock at 3s 0d and mending her bedgown cost 2s 3d
1819 – Margaret Watkins died, her smock was 3s 0d, coffin 17s 0d, laying her out was 5s 0d, the parson was paid 1s 6d, the clerk 2s 6d, beer 5s 0d and a journey for the stroud 2s 6d, Margaret was 90 when she died.
1819 – Mary Morgan was paid £2 2s for looking after Daniel Jones. Straw for the poorhouse cost 8s 0d and 9s 0d was paid for coals
1820 – Harry Lewis received 2s 6d per week and new shirt smock and trousers
1820 – Elizabeth Pritchard was in receipt of 2s 6d per week and her clothing cost 10s 7d
1820 – 16s 5d was paid for straw and coals
1821 – Jenkin Rosser was paid house rent for Elizabeth Pritchard. Margaret James and Christopher Jones were in the poorhouse. The cost of straw and coal amounted to 18s 0d
1822 – Thomas Jenkins was lodging with William Jeremiah for 4 weeks and William Moses for 48 weeks. John Prosser with William Lewis for 52 weeks. Henry Lewis cost the parish £7 7s 2d for the year.
1822 – Margaret James died this year, she was in the workhouse for 39 weeks at a cost of 2s 0d per week, her coffin was 17s 0d, smock 2s 0d, charity 6s 0d, a total cost of £5 16s 0d, she was 84 when she died
1822 – Christopher Jones received a total of £4 19s 11d which included his bed and bed clothes
1822 – John Jones, a tailor and his wife went to the workhouse and received 9 weeks charity at 4s 0d per week, a warrant cost 10s 0d and a journey to Llandilio 2s 6d (to return him to his parish of legal settlement) his bed and bedclothes cost £1 2s 0d. 18s 0d was paid for straw and coals
1823 – John Jones and wife are still in the workhouse at a cost to the parish of £9 16s 28d
1824 – Henry Lewis, Elizabeth Pritchard and Margaret Morgan and her son are in the workhouse, a warrant was issued against John Morgan (supposed father of the child?)
1825 – Henry Lewis and Elizabeth Pritchard are still in the workhouse, along with Joshua Jones aged 89 who died in January. Straw, coals and sheeting cost £1 7s 2d.
1826 – Francis Phillips, from the workhouse, aged 82 was buried in St Peter’s churchyard
Elizabeth Pritchard, besides her keep had an apron which cost 1s 8d, a handkerchief 8d, serge at 1s 3d, calico cost 6s 0d, stockings at 1s 6d. One shilling was paid for mending her clothes, making a bedgown, apron and hemming a handkerchief cost 1s 0d.
1827 – David Williams aged 75 from the workhouse was buried at St Peter’s. Coals and straw cost 20s
1828 – Mary Phillips was removed to the workhouse at a cost of 2s 0d, 6s 0d was paid for shoes, stockings cost 1s 4d, total of £6 17s 10d was paid this included a petticoat, smock, apron, caps and handkerchief. Henry Lewis had a new blanket and jacket, trousers, one shirt and stockings. Elizabeth Pritchard had new smock, handkerchief, caps and stockings. A change of clothing for the workhouse paupers cost £2 11s 2d in addition to their other clothes
1828 – John Morgan, his wife and child were in the workhouse for 33 weeks and 3 days at a rate of 5s 2d. The rest of his family are with Philip Vallant
1829 – Henry Lewis and Elizabeth Pritchard are still in the workhouse. Mary Phillips went to the workhouse for two weeks before she died, her coffin cost 17s 0d, laying out was 2s 6d, drink at her funeral 5s 0d, journey for her shroud 2s 6d, Parson was paid 1s 6d and the sexton 2s 6d. Straw and coals for the workhouse cost 18s 0d. David Griffiths also died and was buried in St Peter’s churchyard
1830 – Henry Lewis had a new shirt and trousers.
1831 – Mary Pritchard went to the workhouse twenty four weeks before she died at a cost of 2s 0d per week. She died aged 63. Her coffin cost 17s 0d, a shroud was 3s 8d, laying out 2s 6d, parson was paid 1s 6d, sexton 2s 6d and 5s 0d was paid for beer. A journey for her shroud cost 2s 6d and a new suit of clothes cost 10s 6d. The same year Henry Lewis received £3 5s plus 17s for coal and straw. James Prosser spent 36 weeks in the workhouse.
1832 – John Harris of Mamhilad was paid 16s for coal and straw for the the workhouse and also 1s 6d per week for the maintenance of Margaret Morgan. William Jones had blanketing for a new smock and trousers at a total of £7 4s 2d. Walter Vallant spent 32 weeks in the workhouse.
1833 – John Harris and a witness went to Usk to consult with Mr McDonnell over William Lewis aged 75 of the poorhouse Goytre
1835 – Elizabeth Plaisted or Prytherch aged 85 died in Goytre workhouse and was buried at Llanover Churchyard. Ann Morgan 82 died in the poorhouse and was buried at Goytre Churchyard. Thomas Barrem aged 67 also died and was buried in St Peter’s Churchyard.
1835 -Now came the new law whereby the poorhouses were consolidated into one big institution. The overseers allowed all necessary clothes for the parish beds in the workhouse.
1836 – This is when Richard Jones takes possession of the old workhouse called Catty’s Nest at a rent of £2 paid quarterly.