What was the poor law commission’s work 1834-47?

Question 1

After 1834 what was the two priorities of the poor law commission policy?

Answer 1

• the transfer of out of work and under employment workers in rural areas to urban areas where employment was plentiful
• the protection of urban rate payers from a sudden urge of demand from rural migrants prior to their obtaining a regular employment

Question 2

What did a program of work house construction meet the setting up of?

Answer 2

• a string of houses offering relief to the able-bodied poor on the less eligibility principle it would as anticipated drive away potential purposes to find work in towns and cities

Question 3

How was the second priority tackled?

Answer 3

• the settlement laws tackle the second priority
• Paul rates kept low and wouldn’t fall this proportionately on towns if the settlement laws were applied, returning seekers of relief to their home parishes

Question 4

What was anticipated with the program of reducing able-bodied populism by building deterrent work houses?

Answer 4

• the program of reducing able-bodied pauperism by building deterrent houses carried with it the assumption that outdoor relief for the able-bodied pauper would stop even though it wasn’t exactly forbidden by the poor law amendment act 1834

Question 5

What was a key setback?

Answer 5

• amalgamating unions and building or adopting workouts took time, even when there was no opposition against the implementation of the act

Question 6

What did the commission then try to do?

Answer 6

• the commission then acted to try to forbid outdoor relief for the able-bodied poor

Question 7

What did the commission do throughout the 1830s?

Answer 7

• throughout the 1830s, commission began issuing orders to specific unions in the rural south of England, prohibiting outdoor relief to the able-bodied poor
• this was extended to the rural north of England in 1842
• 1844 General outdoor relief, prohibitory order, apply to all unions and forbade outdoor relief to the able-bodied poor

Question 9

In the end, what was the overall result?

Answer 9

• the issuing of orders and directives with one thing, the implementation and effectiveness was another
• outdoor relieve continued, and continue to be the most common form of relief given to paupers