Poverty & Pauperism Flashcards
What are the factors for a ‘Consequences of the PLAA’ essay?
Money
Extent of poor relief
Impact on paupers
Punishment/support
What are the factors for a ‘Changing attitudes after PLAA’ essay?
Government attitudes Individuals Self-help Scandals Charity/Philanthropic organisations
When was the Poor Law Amendment Act (PLAA)?
1834
What were the impacts of the PLAA?
- Designed to discourage applicants
- Restricted outside of workplace aid for able-bodied workers
- Created the Poor Law Commission (3 commissioners)
- Amalgamated parishes into groups of 30 responsible for their poor relief (board of guardians elected by ratepayers)
How much did it cost to keep a pauper in a workhouse in 1862?
4s 8d in a workhouse but 2s 3d to provide outdoor relief
What estimated percentage more expensive was indoor relief than outdoor relief?
50-100%
What were the failures of PLAA?
- Didn’t achieve immediate success
- Show no reduction in poverty in years after
- Significant loopholes meaning many local guardians acted contrary
- Such opposition from the north meant by 1838 old poor law methods could be used
- Not applied consistently across country
Why were there issues up north and rurally after PLAA?
- Many guardians resisted expensive workhouses due to need for employment. Cost £6,200 to open one in Banbury
- Rural areas thought it to be more expensive to put ppl in workhouses than pay outdoor relief
When was the Andover workhouse scandal?
1845
Why was Andover subject of a scandal?
Reports leaked out that inmates were eating raw flesh from animal bones while bone crushing (unhygienic)
-unmarried mothers wore a yellow stripe for shame
-milk was watered down
-reduced rations
Andover MP raised issue in parliament & master of workhouse forced to resign
What was the positive impacts of the Andover scandal on public opinion?
- They were well publicised
- After 1845 conditions gradually improved
- Exposed the abuses of the PLAA system, led to Poor law board in 1847
- Illustrated how some groups already believed in a different way of dealing with poverty
Where and when was there another workhouse scandal?
Huddersfield 1848
What group was created after the Andover scandal?
the Workhouse society, 1858
What was the Poor Law Board?
Reformed Poor Law Commission, formed in 1847. Brought poor law under government control, president of board was an MP
What was the negative impacts of the Andover scandal on public opinion?
- Workhouses remained a central feature of provision for the poor
- workhouses continued to be built
- Changes made were to sedate any discontent from workers & to secure middle class interests
How many workhouses were built between 1851 and 1866?
100 added to the existing 406
What volumes did Henry Mayhew publish in 1849?
London Labour and the London Poor
-Concluded that wages were too low for people to deal with economic fluctuations
Why did the government oppose the Poor Law?
- Outdoor relief was cheaper than indoor
- Some felt it was too liberal, passed by the Whigs
- William Cobbet felt it was harsh to treat them like criminals
Why did poor people oppose the Poor Law?
- Poor workhouse conditions
- Introduction of the workhouse test
- Had little choice
- Many people believed government just wanted to save money
Why did the south oppose the Poor Law?
- Attempted to end outdoor relief
- They had more unemployment due to lack of industrialisation
- Riots 1835 in East Anglia
- May riot in Amphill, 300-500 people
When was the Metropolitan Anti-Poor Law association?
1838, led by Earl Stanhope
Where was the most determined resistance to the Poor Laws?
Todmorden
- campaign led by local MP and factory owner Fielden
- closed down factory & refused to pay poor rates
- workers supported it & attacked homes of local guardians
- troops needed to stop it
Who was Thomas Carlyle? (growth of charity/self-help)
- published ‘Past and Present’ in 1843
- drew attention to class divide
- more interested in ‘spiritual growth’ of the country
Who was Henry Mayhew? (growth of charity/self-help)
- 4 volume work
- first study of this area to be investigated by private individual
- forced people to consider a different view
