3.3 Paupers and pauperism 1780-1834 Flashcards
In the beginning of the 19thC why did people believe that the Poor Law was failing to cope?
The population was beginning to become increasingly mobile and industrialised
Strain was also caused by the napoleonic wars
Who was responsible for the poor until 1834?
The parishes
Strengths of the parishes’/the Elizabethan Poor Law administration of the Poor Law?
allowed for relief
since local people were appointed as overseers of the poor they may be able to distinguish between the genuine needy and those who weren’t
it wouldn’t have been a burden for the government since it allowed for the parishes to look after their own local poor
Weaknesses of the parishes’/the Elizabethan Poor Law administration of the Poor Law?
its administrators were unpaid and non-professional
overseers could have easily abused their powers (used it to settle scores)
overseers changed on a regular basis- no consistency to what counts as ‘poor’ and what doesn’t
the lower class would become reliant on the upper classes
if there was any local crisis (e.g. a failed harvest) could cause a burden on locally raised finances
no general pool of resources and the treatment of the poor was inconsistent
1662 and 1697 Settlement Acts- meant that migrating populations wouldn’t be allowed relief from the parishes they moved to (though overseers and magistrates couldn’t keep up with caring out the settlement orders)
How were the Poor categorised until 1834?
Deserving- pauperism isn’t their fault (old, sick, children)
Undeserving- poor due to moral failure (drunkeness or prostitution)
Impotent- could not after themselves (disabled or elderly)
Idle- refused to work, resulted to begging or crime
Able-bodied- wanted relief but are able to work
Did the advantages of the parish as an administrative unit for the poor relief outweigh the disadvantages?
No
the members doing the administrative work were ill equip for their jobs
there was no consistenancy in their treatment/relief of the poor
Why did the pressures for change intensify in the years 1780-1834?
Wars with France
ending the wars meant greater demands for poor relief
Farmers required to pay wartime tax, harvests across Europe and England were good (1813 and 1814), costs of crops remained low, Farmers had to either ask for relief or sack their workers
1815, Tory Gov introduced Corn Laws prevented importing European corn, led to riots because people thought it made the cost of bread artificially high
Post war distress= more people claiming relief, made worse for returning soldiers (they needed relief)
Poor laws condemned as being the actual cause of poverty
Why did the pressures for change intensify in the years 1780-1834?
Agricultural unrest
Paupers in agricultural areas demanded higher wages and the removal of steam-powered machines
Swing’ rioting spread – burning down workhouses, attacks against ‘overseers of the poor’ etc. Happened in over 20 counties across England
Petitions and threats signed ‘Captain Swing’ gave the impression of an organised revolt
Why did the pressures for change intensify in the years 1780-1834?
Regional demands
There were clear regional differences in how parishes operated poor relief and in the numbers claiming poor relief
Why did the pressures for change intensify in the years 1780-1834?
Thomas Malthus – Argued that the Poor Law encouraged the poor to have more and more children to claim more and more relief. Suggested that Poor Law should be scrapped and that the poor would therefore reduce the number of children they had. Everyone would prosper
David Ricardo – Said that as so much money was given via poor relief, this impacted directly on the wages genuine workers were paid and they themselves were then forced into pauperism. He said the only way to break this cycle was to abandon poor relief
Thomas Paine – Proposed a property tax on the very rich would be used for family allowances and old age pensions
Robert Owen – Said that ‘abuse of the factory system’ heightened poverty. In New Lanarck, Scotland, he built a factory community: schools, no corporal punishment, restriction on working hours etc. This way there was no need for poor relief for anyone other than the impotent poor
Desires to reform the eligibility of the Poor Law and how the Poor Rate was funded led reforms to the Old Poor Law
Examples of indoor relief offered before 1834 and why was it attractive for parishes?
The work house and the correction house
The Gilberts Act advantages
Allowed for parishes to combine to build and maintain workhouses=less financial strain for singular parishes
Overseers were replaced by paid guardians and were especially chosen by local magistrates meaning they were better suited and motivated for the job, since they were paid and specially chosen
The able-bodied were excluded from the Gilberts union workhouses, but were able to get to get support by outdoor relief, or they could get help finding a proper job with the parish guardian. there would also be more space for sock, elderly and children
The Gilberts Act disadvantages
Parishes were initially slow to adopt Gilberts Act, because they were under no compulsion
The Act was permissive
The Sturges- Bourne Acts advantages
(Act 1) It decided how voting was managed when people voted men to the parish as select vestries, it allowed a far more consistent/organised way of voting
(Act 2) It instructed vestries to take into account the applicants character and circumstances for a carer case by case judgment on who gets relief
By 1825, 46 vestries had been formed, and experienced a large drop in the cost of living
The Sturges- Bourne Acts advantages
They were permissive, and only applied to parishes whose vestries voted to adapt new provisions
(Act 1) Major land owners had more influence in terms of selecting vestries, this meant that rich people would have more power with administrating relief. This may mean they may be out of touch in terms of the plight of the poor
(Act 2) Destitution its self later became not a sufficient reason to obtain poor relief, this caused many genuinely poor people to remain destitute (thousands)
