Kara Sears
The Poor Law Amendment Act, also known as the 'new Poor Law', was passed by Parliament in 1834. The Act was based on a harsher philosophy that regarded pauperism among able-bodied people as a moral failing. It was designed to reduce the cost of looking after the poor, take beggars off the streets, and encourage poor people to work hard to support themselves. The Act grouped local parishes into Poor Law unions, under 600 locally elected Boards of Guardians, each of which had its own workhouse. The Poor Law has a long history in England, with early laws aimed at providing relief for the poor dating back to the 16th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of enactment | 1834 |
| Purpose | To reduce the cost of looking after the poor, take beggars off the streets, and encourage poor people to work hard to support themselves |
| Implementation | Parishes were grouped into unions, each of which had to build a workhouse |
| Conditions in workhouses | Deliberately harsh to deter people from seeking help |
| Relief eligibility | Only the sick, elderly, and children were eligible for relief outside of workhouses |
| Work requirements | Inmates of workhouses were required to work several hours each day in exchange for food, clothing, and shelter |
| Governance | A Poor Law Commission was established to administer the new system, with about 600 locally elected 'boards of guardians' overseeing each workhouse |
| Legislation | The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, also known as the ''new Poor Law' |
| Legislative body | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Key figures | Edwin Chadwick, Bishop of London, Joseph Rayner Stephens |
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What You'll Learn
The Vagabonds Act 1530
The Vagabonds Act of 1530, also known as 'An Act for the Punishment of Vagabonds, and for Relief of the Poor and Impotent', was one of the first pieces of legislation to address the issue of poor relief in England. The Act provided that Justices of the Peace were responsible for registering and providing relief to "all aged poor impotent and decayed persons" within their jurisdictions. This group included "masterless men", such as travelling theatre troupes and players, who were subject to harsh punishments if they failed to obtain a license from at least two justices. The Act was repealed by the Vagabonds Act of 1547 but was revived and made permanent by the Vagabonds Act of 1549. The punishment of vagabonds by whipping was also reinstated by the Continuance Laws Act of 1592.
The Vagabonds Act of 1530 was part of a broader effort to address poverty and vagrancy in England, which would later lead to the development of the Poor Law system. The Poor Law, introduced in 1834, was a response to the growing cost of caring for the poor, which was previously covered by local taxes paid by the middle and upper classes. The new law aimed to reduce costs, standardise the system of relief across the country, and discourage able-bodied people from relying on public funds. To achieve this, parishes were grouped into unions, each of which was required to establish a workhouse. Only those who were willing to leave their homes and enter a workhouse could receive assistance, and the conditions within these institutions were deliberately harsh to deter people from seeking help unless absolutely necessary.
The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 established a central government department, the Poor Law Commission, to oversee the administration of relief through locally elected Boards of Guardians. Each board had its own workhouse, where paupers were provided with food, shelter, and clothing in exchange for several hours of daily labour. While outdoor relief was no longer available to able-bodied individuals, the sick and elderly could still receive assistance outside of workhouses. However, the workhouses were often criticised for their cruel and inhumane conditions, with some likening them to "prisons for the poor".
The Vagabonds Act of 1530 and the subsequent Poor Law legislation represent significant milestones in the history of social welfare in England. While the Vagabonds Act focused on providing relief to the elderly and vulnerable while punishing those deemed as vagabonds, the Poor Law sought to reduce costs and encourage self-sufficiency among the able-bodied poor. These laws reflect the evolving attitudes and approaches towards poverty and vagrancy over the centuries.
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The Vagabonds Act 1547
The Vagabonds Act of 1547, also known as the Vagrancy Act 1547, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed by King Edward VI and his Lord Protector, Edward Seymour, the act allowed vagabonds to be enslaved for two years. These enslaved vagabonds were fed bread and water and could be worked using beating, chaining, or other methods chosen by their masters. They could also be bought and sold, and if no private man wanted the slave, they were sent to their birth town to work as a slave for the community. The act also allowed vagabond children to be claimed as "apprentices" until the age of 24 for boys and 20 for girls.
The Vagabonds Act was an early attempt to address poverty and vagrancy, which were becoming more pressing issues due to population growth and inflation. It was part of a series of Tudor Vagabond Acts that focused on punishing the impotent poor. The English Poor Laws that followed built on these acts to create a comprehensive system for poor relief, funded by compulsory taxation.
The 1547 Act was repealed by the Vagabonds Act of 1549, which acknowledged the limited enforcement of the harsh punishments established by the previous act. The 1549 Act was, in turn, repealed by the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1623, and ultimately by the Statute Law Revision Act 1863.
The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, also known as the 'new Poor Law', was a significant overhaul of the previous system. It grouped parishes into unions, each with its own workhouse, and made outdoor relief unavailable to able-bodied individuals to compel them to work. Conditions in these workhouses were deliberately harsh, and only those in dire need requested aid. The Act introduced a role for central government in caring for the poor, a significant shift from previous practices.
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The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, also known as the New Poor Law, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government. The Act aimed to reduce the cost of looking after the poor and impose a uniform system across the country. It replaced earlier legislation, including the Poor Relief Act of 1601, and attempted to fundamentally change the poverty relief system in England and Wales.
The 1834 Poor Law policy had two main aims: to transfer unemployed rural workers to urban areas where there were more jobs, and to protect urban ratepayers from paying too much in taxes. To achieve this, parishes were grouped into unions, and each union was required to have a workhouse. Poor people could only receive help if they were prepared to leave their homes and families and enter a workhouse. Conditions in these workhouses were deliberately harsh to deter people from claiming relief. Inmates were forced to undertake hard labour and lived with poor nutrition and inadequate medical care.
The Poor Law Amendment Act was based on the recommendations of a Royal Commission set up in 1832 to investigate the workings of the Poor Law. The Commission, which included Edwin Chadwick, John Bird Sumner, and Nassau William Senior, reported that poverty was perpetuated by the provision of Poor Law relief. As such, the Commission recommended that all able-bodied people and their families should stop receiving outdoor relief. The Act was quickly passed by Parliament, with separate legislation for Scotland and Ireland.
The Act was very unpopular, with fierce opposition from workers, politicians, and religious leaders. The treatment of genuine hardship caused by circumstances beyond an individual's control was ignored, and workhouses became associated with orphans, the old, the sick, and the insane. The Andover Workhouse scandal of the mid-1840s, where inmates were found to be half-starved and living in inhumane conditions, led to stricter rules and regular inspections of workhouses. In 1847, the Poor Law Commission was replaced by a Poor Law Board under closer government supervision.
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The Elizabethan Poor Laws
The laws also established the parish (local government) as the administrative unit for executing the law. The poor laws gave local governments the power to raise taxes as needed to build and maintain almshouses and provide relief for the vulnerable. The taxes were levied on property owners or occupiers, including tenants, and the amount was proportional to the value of their holdings. This system allowed for greater sensitivity towards paupers, but it also made tyrannical behaviour from overseers possible.
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The Poor Relief Act 1662
The Poor Relief Act of 1662, also known as the Settlement Act or the Settlement and Removal Act, was an act of the Cavalier Parliament of England. It was enacted to establish the parish to which a person belonged, thereby clarifying which parish was responsible for providing relief to an individual in need. This was the first instance of a document proving domicile becoming statutory, in the form of "settlement certificates".
The act stipulated that if a poor person (a resident of a tenancy with a taxable value of less than £10 per year) remained in a parish for 40 days of undisturbed residency, they could acquire "settlement rights". However, within those 40 days, upon any local complaint, the individual could be removed and returned to their home parish. This act was amended and continued until the end of the next session of parliament, seven years after the start of the present session, by the Administration of Intestates' Estate Act of 1685.
The Poor Relief Act was part of the Old Poor Law, which aimed to provide relief to those who were unable to work, including the "lame, impotent, old, blind", and pauper children. The able-bodied poor were to be provided with work and materials, and those who refused work were sent to houses of correction or even prison. The Old Poor Law also included the Poor Relief Act of 1601, which established the parish as the administrative unit responsible for poor relief, with churchwardens or parish overseers collecting poor rates and allocating relief.
The Poor Relief Act of 1662 was repealed in 1834 under the Poor Law Amendment Act, which introduced union workhouses. The Poor Law Amendment Act was passed following a royal commission's investigation into the operation of the Poor Laws, which concluded that poverty was perpetuated by the provision of Poor Law relief. The new act aimed to reduce the cost of looking after the poor and impose a standardised system across the country.
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Frequently asked questions
The Poor Law, in British history, was a body of laws that aimed to provide relief for the poor. It was developed in 16th-century England and maintained until after World War II.
The Poor Law was created by Elizabeth I, early in her reign. The laws were directly aimed at providing relief for the poor.
The Poor Law Amendment Act was passed by Parliament in 1834. It was based on a harsher philosophy that regarded pauperism among able-bodied workers as a moral failing. The new law provided no relief for the able-bodied poor except employment in the workhouse.
The Poor Law Amendment Act led to the grouping of local parishes into Poor Law unions, each with its own workhouse. Conditions inside the workhouses were deliberately harsh, and all inmates were expected to work for several hours each day.
