Sandy’s Stories

In late 1860/early 1861, a short article appeared in several local newspapers. The article informed us that a pauper boy in the Londonderry Almshouse, motherless and with a shiftless father, had been bequeathed about $2000 by an English relative on his mother’s side. A guardian would be appointed for the boy to ensure that the windfall was properly managed, and windfall it certainly was. Two thousand dollars in 1860 was equivalent in purchasing power to over $75,000 today, and to put things into further perspective, the salary of the Poorhouse superintendent back then was $275 a year!

The boy’s abode, no doubt, was the house on Stonehenge Road which served as the town’s Poor Farm from 1833 until 1877. The residents of that establishment were enjoying what was known as “indoor relief,” that is, they were housed in a facility supported by town taxes. Londonderry, typical of New England towns at the time, also supported its poor by means of “outdoor relief,” whereby aid was provided to the poor so that they could maintain themselves in their own homes, much like the concept of “welfare” does today. A compromise between the two forms of support occurred when poor folks were housed with other members of the community. The needy were “auctioned off” to the lowest bidder, and the “winners” of these auctions would provide food, shelter, and other basic needs to their wards. At the end of the year, they were reimbursed by the town for these expenses.

Supporting its poor could be a significant liability for any town. However, a community didn’t hesitate to incur that expense for one of its own. On the other hand, if outsiders moved into the neighborhood and were in danger of becoming a financial burden, they could be “warned out.” Warning out typically took the form of a notice written and signed by the town’s Selectmen, which was then delivered by the local Constable. These notices didn’t necessarily have any “teeth,” however. Residents were seldom forcibly removed if they failed to relocate willingly.

I’d love to know what happened to the boy featured in the articles. Was he appointed an honest guardian who safeguarded the money for him until he reached majority? Did he use the bequest wisely and make something of himself, growing into a contributing member of his community? And which community was that? Did he remain in Londonderry and become one of our prominent citizens? Unfortunately, despite careful inspection of the Town Reports, local newspapers, and other documents, I couldn’t learn the name of the lucky lad and therefore was unable to trace his path through life. I can only hope that his story was a good one.