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c. In full overseer of (also †for) the poor. In England and Wales: a parish officer responsible for organizing relief and employment for the poor, and later for some further parish and municipal duties. In some U.S. states: an official appointed to supervise the administration of relief to the poor. Now historical.The office of overseer was created with limited powers in 1572 in Act 14 Eliz. c. 5, but its functions were expanded in 1601 in Act 43 Eliz. c. 2. Overseers were appointed annually, and their original duties were defined to include organizing work for paupers, apprenticing poor children, giving relief to the disabled poor, and levying rates for these purposes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the chief duties were to assess, collect, and distribute the ‘Poor Rate’ (the actual relief of the poor in most cases belonging to the ‘guardians of the poor’; see guardian n. 1b), and to draw up voting lists and jury lists. The office was unpaid, but, where the duties required it, paid or assistant overseers could be appointed under the Poor Relief Act of 1816. The duties regarding rating were transferred to rating authorities by the Overseers Order of 1927.