Subjects
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Elizabethan Poor Law 1601
Bringing Our History to Life
In 1602 an attempt to stop much of the begging and indeed robbery
by people on the streets saw the Elizabethan Poor Law introduced.
This at least went some way to providing some means of survival for the
poor and needy.
It decreed that each parish would be responsible for the welfare
of its own parishioners.
To be paid for by voluntary contributions
or from rates raised from landowners and tenants of property worth more
than £10.00 per annum.
“They were to be severely beaten until they realised the error of their ways”
The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law divided the poor into two groups; "Would work
but couldn't". The impotent poor - the sick, elderly, those unable
to work - who were to be helped via outdoor relief or in almshouses.
"Could work but wouldn't". This group were the able-bodied paupers and it was
thought that these people were claiming relief because they were
lazy. “They
were to be severely beaten until they realised the error of their
ways”
It relied
greatly on the parish itself to administrate, and on unpaid, non-professional
administrators.
Rural Parishes were small and their finances were
feeble so unusually heavy burdens such as a poor crop etc. could
be disastrous at parish level. Overseers, Justices of the Peace,
contractors and Vestrymen who operated the relief could be petty
bigots. But the Poor Law could be more humane, because those responsible
for the administration of relief at least knew the recipients personally.
Relief was given in variety of ways, such as:
Outdoor relief: Where the poor who had somewhere to live and could
look after themselves, were given relief in kind, such as food or
money towards essentials.
Indoor relief: Where those who were homeless or incapable were given
shelter in Alms houses and those forced to go into the village or
local workhouse or 'Poor House'.
Between 1601 and 1834 application of the old Poor Law was inconsistent,
and varied a great deal from area to area.
It soon became obvious that some parishes were more sympathetic towards their
poor, and this tended to result in paupers moving into that area
from less generous parishes. To prevent this, parliament passed the
1662 Settlement Act.
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