Poverty And Pauperism Flashcards
Self help definition
A belief in the importance of peoples own abilities and determination to help themselves become successful
What book presented the idea of self help
Samuel Smiles book “self help” in 1859
Pauperism definition
Being poor in general and anyone who is a recipient of state provided relief under the poor laws
Parish
Small territorial areas divided around Anglican churches
Poor relief
Assistance given by government or charities to alleviate the impact of poverty usually through the provision of shelter, food or clothes
When was the Elizabethan poor law passed
1601
When was the poor employment act passed
1817
When was the poor law amendment act passed
1834
When was the Andover workhouse scandal
1845
How many poorhouses where there by 1776
More than 2000 each containing 20-50 inmates
When was the speenhamland system passed
1795
What was the Speenhamland system
a method of giving relief to the poor, based on the price of bread and the number of children a man had.
What was the average cost spent on poor relief between 1814 to 1818
£6.4 million
Between 1802 and 1803 what percentage of people received poor relief in the north and the south
North- 10%
South- 23%
In the early 1800’s what was the average pay a week in the north
12 shillings a week
What was the Royal Commission and when was it established
Established on 1st of Feb 1832 and it had 9 commissioners including Nassau Senior and Edwin and Chadwick who sought to make recommendations for the improvement of the poor law system
What did the royal commission suggest should be changed about the poor law ( 4 things )
- removal of outdoor relief altogether
- use of more punishing workhouses as an deterrent to those seeking relief
- the grouping together of parishes so they could manage workhouses better
- the creation of a central board to implement and over see the system
What were attitudes towards the poor
That the poor were indolent ( idle and lazy) and it was believed it was their fault they were poor
What was a “progressive opinion” in regards to poverty and what individuals had it
Thomas Paine and Robert Owen- they thought the government should provide welfare support and had sympathy for the people and didn’t think it was their fault. Owen believed people would better themselves if given the opportunity to do so through education
What is utilitarianism and who believed it
Jeremy Bentham- believed in anything that provided the “greatest happiness for the greatest number,”
What was the cost of the poor law between 1815-1834
Poor relief expenditure approached 2% of GDP and didn’t dip below £5.7 million
How did the improved prosperity of the 1820s see a decline in expenditure on poor relief
After 1824 the cost per head was 9s 2d compared to 11s 7d between 1819 and 1823
What does “less eligibility” mean
The concept of deliberately making poor relief harsh so that only the most destitute and those truly desperate could apply for it
How did parishes change after the poor law commission
Organised 15000 existing parishes into 600 larger unions
How much did the workhouse in Banbury cost? What year? And how many people
£6,200, 1835, 300 people
By 1862 how many did it cost to either keep a pauper in an institution or not
4s 8d to keep a pauper in an institution, only 2s 3d for outdoor relief
How much did the economic historian George Boyer estimate indoor relief was more expensive than outdoor relief
50 to 100% more expensive
What was the riot act
A piece of legislation that was passed in 1714 which allowed local authorities to declare groups of 12 or more an illegal assembly.
How did the Times newspaper show its opposition to the Poor Law
It came out publicly against it on 30th April 1834 and ran an ongoing debate on the legislation with the morning chronicle
Who was the master responsible for the Andover regime
Colin McDougal
What was the Andover scandals
Inmates were starving where they eat the bone marrow they were required to crush and the guardians were cruel and punished for slight mistakes in their work
How many workhouses had been built between 1851 and 1866 and how many had been their post 1834
100 and this was in addition to the 402 which had been constructed in the immediate years after 1834
Philanthropy
A general concern for the welfare of others usually characterised by donations of money or other resources aimed at helping people.
When was the Charity Organisation Society formed and what was this purpose
1869 and it’s purpose was to distinguish between the deserving and underserving poor and then to help the deserving poor from the best means
