Poverty and Pauperism, 1785-1870 Flashcards
What was the Speenhamland System
An allowance to subsidise low wages, started in 1795
Wages were topped up to the value of 3 loaves of break (4 1/2 loaves if the worker had a family)
Where was the Speenhamland system first implemented, and why
Berkshire
The Berkshire magistrates feared the impoverished conditions of workers (resulting from some being displaced due to enclosure and the French War in 1793 cutting off grain imports) could lead to revolution
When was the Speenhamland System abolished
In 1834 by act of parliament
What was the difference between ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor
‘Deserving’ poor were impoverished due to factors outside of their control, e.g. recession
‘Undeserving’ poor were impoverished due to factors under their control, e.g. laziness
Who administered poor rates (prior to 1834), and when was this early system formalised
‘Overseers of the Poor’, under the authority of the local Justice of the Peace
This system was formalised with the 1818 Act for the Regulation of Parish Vestries, as well as the 1819 Act to Amend the Laws for Relief of the Poor, which created parish committees, elected by rate-payers, to distribute poor relief
How much was spent on poor relief between 1814-1818
£6.4 million per year, on average
What was the link between the Swing Riots (1830) and the Speenhamland system
The Swing riots were most prevalent in places where the Speenhamland System was widely used
This is as farmers were often given lower wages, since they were topped up by poor relief
How much was poor relief expenditure between 1815 and 1834
2% of GNP
This amounted to over £5.7 million a year
What was Ricardo’s ‘wage fund theory’
Suggested there was a fixed fund at any given time for wages so if workers wanted an increase in wages, it would come at the expense of other workers’ wages
This theory was popular amongst ratepayers and the middle class
Between 1819 and 1823, how much did the cost of poor relief change per capita
From 11s 7d to 9s 2d after 1824.
The large number of low-paid workers meant the cost of poor relief was still high
When was the Poor Employment Act, and what did it do
The Poor Employment Act in 1817 made public money available to employ able-bodied paupers in public works projects
What did Malthus believe about poor relief
Malthus believed poor relief artificially increases the population without acting to increase the quantity of food
This would lead to price inflation and low wages, hurting those who work hard
What an arse.
Summarise the arguments of individualism on poor-relief
Poverty may come from the poor’s short sighted nature
The Poor Laws kept the poor poor as they reduced incentives.
Abolition would lead to higher wages with less taxes for landlords
Otherwise, population would increase and starvation would follow
What did Robert Owen argue about poor relief
Poverty comes from the market mechanism inadvertently keeping man poor.
Workers should work cooperatively, without ulterior incentive, and should get education
Mechanisation reduces the amount of Labour needed
Summarise the arguments of Collectivism on poor relief
The economic system itself was responsible for impoverishment
The poor laws were inadequate in aid
Land Tax to help the poor (based)
A rudimentary social security system
What did Jeremy Bentham argue about poor relief
Human action is determined by the pursuit of pleasure and escape from pain
As such, we should pursue to maximise total happiness for the greatest number
Policy must thusly be pragmatic at most, ruthlessly logical at best
Summarise the arguments of Utilitarianism
A National Charity Company, entrusted with responsibility to the nations poor
Panopticon prison model which would bring in those who couldn’t care for themselves
Any assistance should be no greater than reasonable, so workers don’t stay and can leave with their own incentive to achieve
Utilitarianism was not cruel, but rather a logical response to the assertation of maximising utility
What percentage of people in the North received poor relief compared to the South between 1802 and 1803
10% of the North received relief, compared to 23% of those in the South.
Main reason was low wages, roughly 12s per week
Who led the Royal Commission into poor relief, when was this, and what did they do
Established in 1832, with nine commissioners including Nassau Senior and Edwin Chadwick
Aimed to find information about the workings of the Poor Law and make recommendations
Questionnaires sent to 15,000 parishes, but only 10% were returned
What were Select Vestries and why were they corrupt
Groups of parishes which administered poor relief, and could be corrupt as relief went towards vested interests
This can be seen in Morpeth, which gave money to a local pub in the interest of beer sales
What did the Poor Law Amendment Act (PLAA) of 1834 do
Workhouses were to be designed to be less appealing than those conditions enjoyed by the poorest labourers. Anyone who refused to accept workhouse life ‘failed the workhouse test’.
The practice of providing relief to able-bodied paupers outside the workhouse was to be restricted, and those who failed the workhouse test would not be entitled to any poor relief
How was the PLAA administered
Run by the Poor Law Commission, which itself was run by 3 commissioners and 9 assistants whose job was to ensure all central decisions were carried out across the country. Chadwick was made secretary to the Commission, and was bitter he wasn’t in charge.
How did the PLAA have local parishes give relief
The PLAA amalgamated parishes into groups of about 30, known as unions, each managed by a board of guardians
Each parish had at least one representative. The parish union was responsible for their workhouse
How expensive was workhouse relief per week compared to outdoor relief by 1862
4s 8d to keep a pauper in an institution
2s 3d to provide outdoor relief
How did the Poor Rate (the tax) operate when the economy was good
When the economy was strong, the Poor Rate was often lowered due to plentiful jobs being available
How much did it cost to open a workhouse at Banbury, in the north
It cost £6200 to open a workhouse in Banbury, which was seen as excessive in many northern towns where it might be empty for much of the year when the economy was good
When was the PLAA first reformed and why
Opposition to indoor relief in Yorkshire and Lancashire meant that by 1838, the Poor Law Commission allowed the use of old Poor Law methods should the need arise
What were some positives for children in workhouses
- In some (emphasis on some) cases, children would be taught Geography and Maths at a level higher than some other schools
- Babies of mothers would be taken care of in specially made nurses, and kept clean and safe
When was the Andover workhouse built and who was in charge
Built in 1836
A board of guardians was selected under the chairmanship of Reverend Dodson
The master of the workhouse was ex sergeant major Colin M’Dougal.
When was the Andover Workhouse scandal, and how was it leaked
In 1845, one of the guardians, Hugh Mundy, informed Ralph Etwall, MP for Andover, of the conditions in the workhouse.
Etwall raised the issue in the House of Commons, the Times carried news of the scandal, and an investigation was ordered
What was life like in the Andover Workhouse
- M’Dougal drank heavily and sexually assaulted female inmates. His 17 year old son was accused of sexual abuse too
- Inmates given reduced rations so M’Dougal could buy extra for his family
- Bone crushing used as a job, inmates scraped out the bone marrow because they were so hungry
- One punishment was to make inmates spend a night in the mortuary
What was M’Dougal ‘s punishment for his actions
Following an investigation, M’Dougal was forced to resign but received no further punishment
What happened in the case of the Amersham Union in Buckinghamshire, May 1835
Paupers were being moved from Chesham to a new workhouse in Amersham, seen as a Bastille
The paupers rioted, but this was broken by the yeomanry and police reading the riot act.
Similar cases in Kent, Spring 1835, and East Anglia, 1844, but they failed
What happened in Bradford and Dewsbury
Violent protests in Bradford, October 1837, and Dewsbury, 1838.
The Bradford riot was quelled only by the aid of troops who opened fire on the protestors (no fatalities)
What did John Fielden do in Todmorden
The radical MP closed his factory in protest of the election of the guardians and refused to pay his poor rates.
His workers rallied to his aid when the board attempted to enforce payment and they proceeded to attack the homes of the guardians. Troops called in.
Who publicised the Andover workhouse scandal
Chief editor of the Times, John Walter
How did the government reform following the Andover workhouse scandal
In 1847, the Poor Law Commission was abolished and replaced with the Poor Law Board.
Several cabinet ministers sat on the Board and the president of the board was also an MP
This shifted perception away from 1834, so instead of the focus being deterrence of laziness, there was a greater feeling of social responsibility
Which workhouse scandal followed the Andover workhouse scandal
Huddersfield in 1848
Which groups added to argument for better treatment for the poor after the Andover scandal
The scandal illustrated how different groups thought poverty should be dealt with differently; non-conformist churches promoted this view
The Workhouse Visiting Society, founded in 1858, carried out unofficial checks on workhouses and added to the argument for better treatment of the poor
What did journalist Henry Mayhew do
Henry Mayhew published a four volume work called ‘London Labour and the London Poor’ in 1849, containing 2 million words, and detailing the experiences of the Britain’s poor.
Concluded that wages were too low for many to deal with fluctuations in the economy.
This challenged the belief that poverty was caused by idleness
What book did Samuel Smiles publish
‘Self Help’, 1859, sold 250,000 copies
Detailed the importance of thrift and industry, placing individual determination to improve oneself as the single most important element in achieving success
What did Elizabeth Gaskell publish
Her book “Mary Barton”, 1848, detailed the lives of working class people in a smog filled Manchester
Offered a realistic impression of the poor classes in Britain
What did Thomas Carlyle publish
‘Past and Present’, 1843, drew attention to the growing class divide
He was most interested in the spiritual growth of the country, used the treatment of the poor as an example of how far removed from one another society had become
He was well read by middle class reformers
Which periodical did Charles Dickens publish from 1837-1839
Oliver Twist, which showed the life of a boy in a workhouse and the conditions he lived in
Which laws followed the Andover Workhouse scandal
1852 - Outdoor Relief Regulation Order imposed uniformity on the system, and the majority of unions were allowed to replace the workhouse with outdoor labour (this may be due to how Lord Palmerston did not want Ship builders to be displeased from their seasonal work seeing them in a workhouse)
1855 - Union Chargeability Act passed responsibility for funding poor relief on the Union instead of the Parish
What did the Charity Organisation Society do
founded in the 1869, the society sought to distinguish deserving and undeserving poor
Born out of fear people too dependent on charity
Who was Angelina Boudett-Couts and what did she do
Richest woman in Britain
Founded a home for poor woman called Urania Cottage
What was the 1842 Outdoor Labour Test Order, and why was it ineffective
Sought to allow the continuation of outdoor relief
Many unions continued to ignore the orders
By 1844, the Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order brought an end to this provision
How many workhouses were built between 1851 and 1866
100 were built, to add to the 402 that had been built following the 1834 PLAA
What hospital was set up in 1793, and who was it for
The first Foundling Hospital set up in 1793 to care for abandoned children
This fact technically comes from the slavery book but I don’t care, it’s good
