Old Poor Law and pressure for change Flashcards
Under who and when was the Old Poor Law established?
Elizabeth I, 1601
What was the motivation behind the OPL?
Provide social stability to prevent the spread of discontent or rioting among the population
What did the government then recognise?
The potential dangers of excessive poverty, and so sought to address the issue
What did the Old Poor Law Act of 1601 do?
Placed the responsibility of dealing with poverty onto the local parishes
What was happening to the OPL at the end of the 18th century?
System was under increasing pressure because of the growth in the population, placing a greater strain on parishes
When were workhouse first established?
1723
What was the system orientated around?
The concept of local responsibility
What were the obligations of the Parish?
They were quite broad, and so it was up to parishes on what they did with the poor
When was the Gilbert’s Act and what was it?
1782, allowed Parishes to group together for the purpose of supporting a poor house to provide relief only to those physically unable to work, able-bodied poor given outdoor relief
When was the Speenhamland system established and what was it?
1795, setting go the rate of outdoor relief to the price of a loaf of bread
Where was the Speenhamland system implemented?
Some southern systems
What was the Poor Employment Act and when was it passed?
1817, granting public money to employ the poor in public works
What was passed in 1818?
Act for Regulation of Parish vestries, allowing elected committees to scrutinise relief claims
What was passed in 1819?
Act to Amend the Laws for Relief of the Poor is passed
What was Outdoor Relief?
Practice of giving money, food, or clothes to the poor rather than placing them in institutions
What did Poorhouses require?
Those within them had to undertake work in return for assistance
How many institutions were there by 1776 and how many inmates did they contain?
2000 with 20-50 inmates
What was agreed in 1782?
That only orphaned children, those who physically couldn’t work, older and sick people could enter, became known as the Gilbert’s Act
What was the Roundsman system?
Sold the labour of paupers to employers at a reduced cost, the difference being made with the poor rate
Why was the efficacy of Parish-based systems limited?
The inconsistent manner in which they operated, local levels not national, rapid growth in population, industrialisation saw loss of agricultural jobs, Corn Laws caused food prices to rise (Speenhamland tied to price of bread), Napoleonic Wars
How many people in the North and South received Poor Relief between 1802-1803?
10% in the North, 23% in the South
What happened during times of economic decline?
Wages were either reduced or the workforce was make temporarily unemployed, leading them to apply for relief
What was set up in 1832?
Royal Commission
What was the Royal Commission to do?
Provide recommendations for the improvement of the Poor Law system
What did the Royal Commission use?
Questionnaires sent out to 15,000 Parishes, visited 3000/15000 Parishes
How many Parishes replied to Questionnaires?
10%
What recommendations were made?
- Removal of Outdoor Relief
- Use of more punishing workhouse to act as a deterrent (less eligibility)
- Grouping of Parishes together
- Creation of a central board
What did the recommendations present?
A radical overhaul of the present system, sought a more centralised and punishing system
