that may well be the explanation - many names were duplicated - one thought was that the two books were records of different fees being paid.

Re treatment in the 1870's - there were considerably worse places in the previous decades - read Engels on the state of labouring classes in Manchester or the Irish slums in Liverpool - those with wealth usually need the fear of losing all to force them to agree to a more equitable society, Douglas refused to institute any reform to a failed system for many years - read A W Moore's comments.

I hadn't realised you paid a retaining fee for gossip - I find friends and open sharing of information to suffice