3.5 Flashcards
What is a model for the Post 1834 Poor Law administration?
The Andover Union in Hampshire it had been praised by the
Poor Law Comission’s annual reports.
Why was Andover an example of a model workhouse?
This was because the Union had abolished the outdoor relief and had the strictest regulations, including dietary.
Who was in charge of the Andover Workhouse?
What was particular about them?
In 1837, Colin M’Dougal and his wife were appointed master and matron of the Andover Workhouse.
They were so trusted that the workhouse inspections were infrequent and hasty.
What was the Andover Scandal?
Rumours started circulating about the poor conditions inside the workhouse.
Therefore Guardians and commissioners were sent to investigate.
What was the Poor Law Commission replaced with?
In 1847 the government replaced the Poor Law Commission with the Poor Law Board.
What was the aim of the Poor Law board?
Aimed to overhaul the weaknesses of the Poor Law Commission but to increase government involvement.
What was particular about the board?
What did this mean?
Several Cabinet members who sat on the board were ex-officio. The president of the board was also an MP.
This meant that those who were responsible for Poor Law administration were also answerable to Parliament and to public opinion.
What was an indication that there was not complete change in the board?
There was not complete change as George Nichols (one of he 3 original PL commissioners became secretary to the board and most of the assistant commissioners also stayed on.
What is an ex officio member?
A member of a body who holds another office.
How did the Master and Matron treat inmates?
Colin McDougal a former seargeant Major and his wife Mary Ann were seen as very strict and violent.
What were the rumours of the Andover Workhouse?
Rumours suggested that they were in treacherous conditions and starved so paupers ate pieces of Marrow.
What are strengths of the Poor Law Board?
It was answerable to Parliament and public opinion.
Aimed to overhaul the weaknesses of the Poor Law Commission.
Increased government involvement.
What are the weaknesses of the Poor Law Board?
Cabinet members were ex-officio so they would not be fully committed as they had more than one role.
They were answerable to public opinion (this was anti-pauper).
What were the groups that were responsible for paupers?
Trade unions
Friendly societies
Charities
Co-operatives
What was a COS?
What were the main aims?
Charity organisation society.
Founded it 1869 with the aim of coordinating the work of private charities.
Aims- co-operation with the poor law authorities at a local level.
Organisation of the work of other charities. To better coordinate their efforts.
Ensuring only the deserving were in receipt of relief.
What were the successes of Charity organisation societies?
What were the drawbacks of charity organisation societies?
Successes.
-Relief was only given to the deserving poor.
-Publicity and Propaganda emphasised its success.
It was supported by many powerful people.
Collected data on the poor.
Drawbacks.
-Provincial branches often failed to recruit sufficient volunteers or raise enough funds.
-The rigorous investigative methods were resented by the poor.
Many charities felt alienated by the overbearing attitude of the cos.
-They only offered temporary solutions
-Only for the deserving poor.
What is a friendly society?
What were the successes?
What were the negatives?
Groups of friends or fellow workers joining together to provide for themselves in a time of need.
It gave a safety net in times of need.
Successes- it was popular as membership topped by 2.7 million by 1877.
Became a central organisation with central bodies that spread risk.
Supported by government as it was self help.
Burial societes saved paupers for a pauper funeral.
Negatives-
Society fees were often too high for paupers.
some memberships stopped memberships for over 40s and ill.
What are trade unions?
What are the benefits?
What are the negatives
Trade unions offered a range of benefits for a weekly fee.
positives.
Helped to improve working conditions,
it was the only way to receive a sick pay.
negatives.
They had to pay a weekly subscription to be a part of it. (not all paupers could afford).
Many trade unions were work or skill based.
What are cooperatives
Societies that allowed paupers regular dividends and allowed them to plan their finances.
What are the benefits and negatives to coperatives?
Benefits- they were given a regular dividend they could pay rent with.
They had the certainty that the foodstuffs they bought were not adulterated.
They could leave their dividends to accrue interest.
Negatives-
Semi skilled workers only benefitted as you had to pay a cash fee to be a part of the co-op.
What were the three individuals involved with dealing with poverty?
Samuel Smiles,
Henry Mayhew,
Charles Dickens,
Why was Charles Dickens impactful on the poor?
His novel “Oliver Twist” showed the terrors of the workhouse which may have given an insight to the middle and upper classes how bad poverty was.
He voiced two opinions: that the poor had hopes and desires and that the workhouse was cruel. He gave a voice to the poor.
Why was Mayhew impactful on the poor?
Mayhew categorised paupers into 3 aspects:
Those who cannot work, those who will not work and those who will work.
He visited people’s accommodation to investigate the conditions they were in and wrote about what he saw and smelt.
He wrote a series of articles for the morning chronicle
about the lives of the poor and these were later published into a book that captured the imagination of the wider public.
Why was Samuel Smiles impactful on the poor?
He was a mini influencer.
He wrote the book Self-Help in 1859 which argued the only way out of poverty was self help and only the really destitute needed support.
He also wrote biographies for George Stephenson who achieved prosperity through hard work.
He was a strong supporter of the cooperative movement in Leeds and a supporter of the Leeds redemption society.
What were the limitations of the individuals who helped with the poor?
The Dicken’s novels may have been seen purely as entertainment and people may have overlooked the more important message.
They led to no changes in legislation.
Categories that Mayhew gave were undermining
What were the benefits of the individuals who helped the poor?
They helped to gain awareness to the middle classes of the cruelty going on in the workhouse.
They tried to support paupers with ways to get out of poverty (eg self help).
Dickens still has a long term impact today.
What were three successes of the Poor Law Board?
- “Board schools were set up in 1870. providing education to 8-15 year olds.
- “Pauper Hospitals were established as they were the only place paupers could get medical support.
- The 1969 Poor Law loans allowed guardians to borrow money for up to 30 years. Guardians could upgrade the facilities without placing too much burden on the poor rate.
- In Leeds and Manchester, pauper children were sent to industrial schools where they learnt a trade.
What were 4 failures of the Poor Law Board?
- In 1852 they attempted to The popularity of outdoor relief prevailed, and the board failed to abolish it.
- The change to the Medical services was only a response to public opinion.
- Even with the Poor Law loans guardians kept spending to a minimum.
- Union chargeability 1865 act did not create a uniform rating system.
When did the Local government board take over responsibility?
They took it over in 1871
When was the COS founded?
Who were they supported by?
1869.
House of Commons members, Armed forces, aristocrats, established Church.
What did the local government board do?
Sponsored paupers to immigrate to other places eg Australia.
Issued a circular condemning outdoor relief that it deterred paupers from saving.
Supported the authorities when they took a harsh stance on outdoor relief.
What were the problems of the Poor Law Commission?
- The Andover scandal revealed the worst abuse of the workhouse scandal.
- They way that the assistant commissioner was blamed, Henry Parker showed an inability to deal with problems.
- The select committee had tensions with the Sommerset house.
What was an important part of Poor Law policy?
The Parliamentry Reform act 1867.
extended the vote qualification to householders.
Those qualified went from 1 mil to 10 mil.
What categories of help can the Poor Law Boards be grouped into.
Financial help.
Medical help.
And school help.
What were burial societies?
Burial societies saved paupers from having a pauper funeral.
This is because pauper bodies could be donated to medical science.
