Freestone County, Texas Paupers or Render Service to Paupers of 1910s Paupers or Render Service to Paupers Overall, a pauper is a poor person and usually considered not able to work. In this case, the Commissioners' Court of Freestone County paid paupers an allowance. A Texas statutes say 1) "Each commissioners court may provide for the support of paupers, residents of their county, who are unable to support themselves.", and 2) "The commissioners court of each county shall provide for the disposition of the body of a deceased pauper." I assume the static amount was different based on the number of dependents they took care of. The amount is usually static but might differ because the pauper did not collect the prior period's and be double the amount. The payments are irregular because the paupers would have had to travel to the clerk of the Commissioners' Court in Fairfield and requested a payment. They did not send out payments through the mail or for delivery. There is some understandable inconsistency on spelling names such as "Sally" and "Sallie" or "T.Y." and "T. Z.". This listing runs through the 1910s (1910-1919). Unusual abbreviations used: mdse. = merchandise I have capitalized people's names. Also, all single letter first and last names are done with period, such as "T.Y.". Spacing and number of periods may not match original since I am focused on genealogy, not making a perfect replica. ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, August 12, 1910 Page: 4 Ann Davis, placed on county as pauper and allowed $5 per month. J M Lott, board for paupers, $45. T B. Jenkins, lunacy fees, $3.50. W A Huckaby, act paid for help with lunatic, $1.00. C B Grayson, lunacy fees. $4.60; and keeping vital statistics, $5.70. W A Huckaby, conveying lunatic to asylum $22.55. ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, February 24, 1911 Page: 4 COMMISSIONERS' COURT Ordered that allowance to Charley Scott, pauper, be increased from $4 to $6. Ordered that Mrs. Neoma Turner be allowed $5 per month, to be paid to J. E. Terry. ... Ordered that Ely Ransom be placed on poor farm. ... ACCOUNTS ALLOWED ... C. J. Luckey, coffin for pauper, $5.50. Sims & Dunn, dry goods for pauper, $1.15. ... ================================================================ The Teague Chronicle - Friday, May 12, 1911 Page: 6 ... W. B. Lummis, conveying patient to asylum, $18.20. ... J. M. Lott, boarding paupers, $25.50. ... Mrs. S. Philpott, application to have Jennie Thomas placed on county as pauper, granted and allowed $4.00 per month. ... ================================================================ The Teague Chronicle - Friday, July 19, 1912 Page: 4 The pauper list has been carefully looked after under the supervision of each commissioner, respectively. There are now 18 paupers in the county. ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, December 1, 1911 Page: 2 COMMISSIONERS' COURT J. W. Teer, cash paid for coffin for pauper, $18.50, allowed for $11. J. W. Teer, clothing for pauper, $5. E. E. Williford, coffin for pauper, $24.70. J. M. Lott, burying pauper, $5.00. John Brown, coffin for pauper, $8.00. [reprinted in same issue on page 8] ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, December 15, 1911 Page: 8 J. H. Mayo, coffin for pauper, $10. ================================================================ The Teague Chronicle - Friday, January 19, 1912 Page: 4 ... The unfortunate insane of the county have received my prompt attention. Twenty- four have been adjudged insane. One is out under bond. Two have died in the asylum, some have recovered, and have been sent home, the others are in the asylum at Terrell, Austin and San Antonio, some being in each of these institutions. There are 19 paupers on the pauper list of our county. These have been dealt with, under the supervision of each Commissioner respectively, as we thought the circumstances justified. Now and then, after investigation, one has been checked off. ... ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, February 23, 1912 Page: 8 COMMISSIONERS' COURT PROCEEDINGS ACCOUNTS ALLOWED ... Jim Conoway, coffin for pauper, $8.00. J. H. Mayo, coffin for pauper, $10.00. ... John Kirven, suit for pauper, $4.50. ... ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, May 17, 1912 Page: 8 COMMISSIONERS' COURT MAY TERM ... J. C. Hippel, coftin for pauper, $15. ... J. and W. Dawson, burying Mexican, $7. ... ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 13, 1912 Page: 1 Mingo Tarver, application to be put on pauper list, allowed $3.00. ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, February 21, 1913 Page: 1 Vinie Brown placed on pauper list. ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, July 18, 1913 Page: 5 Dr. J. W. McDonald, medical services to pauper, $10. ================================================================ The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, August 15, 1913 Page: 4 Pheby Bond received as pauper and allowed $5 per month. ================================================================ The Teague Chronicle - Friday, March 22, 1918 Page: 11 COUNTY PAUPER LIST The following is a list of paupers maintained by Freestone county at a monthly cost of $147.00, There are 24 paupers on the list. The amounts for each one are paid monthly, not to the pauper, but to some one who is the proper custodian of the funds. The name of the pauper cones first in the list, the amount, name of custodian and address. Orphelia Perry, $3.00, paid to B. S. Fryer, Fairfield. Sue Ann Carnish, $3.00, paid to B. S. Fryer, Fairfield. Lou Ryan, $10.00, paid to B. S. Fryer, Fairfield. Mingo Tarver, $5.00, paid to A. P. Carter, Kirven. Lou Woods, $5.00, paid to A. P. Carter, Kirven. J. and A. Talley, $6.00, paid to W. A. Bonner, Kirven. Jake Dunbar, $4.00, paid to W. A. Bonner, Kirven. C. C. Durham, $7.00, paid to W. W. Harding, Oakwood, R 1. Emily Tatum, $5.00, to J. B. Clark, Teague, R-2. Martha Scott, $5.00, to Buck Cunningham, Buffalo, R-2. Mary Frazier, $5.00, paid to H. F. Trahin, Oakwood. Jim Cochran and sister, $12.00, to Columbus Cochran, Teague, R-1. Dock Dunbar, $4.00, paid to Scott Dunbar, Buffalo, R-2. Hal Tatum, Sr., $5.00, to Jack Oliver, Buffalo, R-2. L. G. Rose, $5.00, to F. R. Huckaby, Fairfield. Jensy Goolsby, $5.00, to Dr. W. N. Sneed, Fairfield. Bill Harper, $10.00, to John Driver, Fairfield. Jim Hare, $8.00, to Oscar Johnson, Teague, R 2. Ned Mims, $5.00, to C. M. Middleton, Teague, R 2. Jacob Cary and wife, $10.00, to Naomi Goolsby, Winkler. Shelly Jackson, $5.00, to Hun Williams, Oakwood, R 1. Roy Oneal, $5.00, to Mrs. W. B. Cain, Teague. Charlie Metz, $10.00, to John King, Kirven. ================================================================ The Teague Chronicle - Friday, September 13, 1918 Page: 1 Mrs. N. M. Field was placed on the county pauper list and given an allowance of $5.00 per month. ================================================================