DOCSLIB.ORG

Workhouse Populations of the Preston Union, 1841–61

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Workhouse Populations of the Preston Union, 1841–61 Workhouse Populations of the Preston Union, 1841–61 Lewis Darwen Abstract The census enumerators’ books (CEBs) have provided fertile ground for studies of workhouse populations in recent years, though it has been acknowledged that work remains to be done on different regions and periods to develop our understanding of these institutions and the paupers who resided therein. This article will examine the indoor pauper populations of the Preston union, in Lancashire, over three census years from 1841. The region, which is notable for a protracted campaign of resistance to the New Poor Law and its associated workhouse system, has been previously neglected in studies of workhouse populations focusing on the decades immediately after the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. It will be shown that the profile of the union’s workhouse populations broadly mirrors those found elsewhere at the aggregate level, but that important variations reflected local and central policy. A high concentration of able-bodied paupers—in particular—seems to indicate ideas governing local policy which were not carried out elsewhere. The New Poor Law of 1834 heralded the era of the Union workhouse, the great embodiment of pauperism and enduring symbol of nineteenth century welfare provision. Asserting that a considerable proportion of outdoor relief was falling into the hands of the ‘undeserving poor’, the framers of the legislation sought to redefine the principles through which relief was administered by subjecting all such persons to a ‘workhouse test’. Under this test outdoor relief was to be substituted for an offer of accommodation in a workhouse, and workhouses were to act as a deterrent following the principle of ‘less eligibility’, which meant that they were to be less appealing to prospective paupers than independence outside their walls. Only the genuinely destitute, it was argued, would accept an offer of the workhouse.1 This was the theory, but in practice a uniform system of poor relief administration guided by the workhouse test was never implemented. The strength of local resistance to the New Poor Law, particularly in parts of the north of England, and considerable socio-economic diversity between a broadly industrial north and agricultural south, meant the official orders disseminated by central legislators restricting outdoor relief were never universally applied. The authorities were at first concerned with abolishing the allowance system in the south and east, and the Prohibitory Order, which forbade outdoor relief to able-bodied males and females, had been introduced into much of this part of the country by the early 1840s. Most poor law unions in Lancashire and Yorkshire, however, 1 Parliamentary Papers 1834, 27–39 (44), p. 147: Report from His Majesty’s Commissioners for Inquiring into the Administration and Practical Operation of the Poor Laws. 33 Lewis Darwen continued to administer relief entirely without formal restrictions until the less stringent Relief Regulation Order was issued in 1852. This applied only to able-bodied males, and allowed outdoor relief to be provided in exchange for a task of work.2 Unions operating under this order were never restricted to offering only indoor relief to any class of pauper. While the paucity of empirical local studies means the actual effects of these orders remains unclear, their application across England and Wales marks out one of the defining characteristics of the poor law before and after 1834: regional variation.3 Moreover, the central authorities’ preoccupation with able-bodied pauperism meant that children, the aged and infirm, the sick and the disabled—groups which collectively accounted for the overwhelming majority of poor law relief claimants—continued to be treated entirely at the discretion of boards of guardians. Poor relief was therefore administered not only according to official orders but also according to accepted practice as defined locally, and tied inextricably to the nature of the economy and traditional welfare customs. Thus, it is only with detailed knowledge of local welfare policy, set firmly within the socio-economic context of a region, that the composition of workhouse populations can be properly appreciated and understood. Historiography A vast amount of literature exists relating to workhouses as institutions and to their role within the wider poor law framework, and though it is not possible (or necessary) to survey interpretations here, it is important to consider the recent shift away from institutional and legislative approaches, and towards quantitative analysis of indoor pauper populations based primarily on the census enumerators’ books (CEBs).4 Beginning with Page’s study of the Leicester union workhouse in 1881, a series of studies have taken a union or a group of contiguous unions as their focus and examined a single census year, typically 1851 or 1881.5 Only Seal’s recent study of the Cheltenham and Belper unions between 1851 and 1911 has 2 F. Driver, Power and Pauperism: the Workhouse System, 1834–1884 (Cambridge, 1993), pp. 47–56. 3 Historians remain divided over the exact nature of regional and local variation, though no one would doubt its existence. See S. King, Poverty and Welfare in England, 1700–1850: a Regional Perspective (Manchester, 2000); S. Hindle, On the Parish: The Micro-Politics of Poor Relief in Rural England, c.1550–1750 (Oxford, 2004). Much more work needs to be done in this area, particularly on the New Poor Law. 4 The shift to studies of workhouse populations has occurred alongside a broader movement to understand the conditions of workhouses and the experience of the inmates who resided within their walls. See, for example, D. Green, ‘Pauper Protests: Power and Resistance in Early Nineteenth-Century London Workhouses’, Social History, 31 (2006), pp. 137–59. 5 Previous articles on this subject include: S. Page, ‘Pauperism and the Leicester Workhouse in 1881’, Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society, 63 (1989), pp. 85–95; A. Hinde and F. Turnbull, ‘The Populations of Two Hampshire Workhouses, 1851–1861’, Local Population Studies,61 (1998), pp. 38–53; N. Goose, ‘Workhouse Populations in the Mid-Nineteenth Century: the Case of Hertfordshire’, Local Population Studies, 62 (1999), pp. 52–69; D.G. Jackson, ‘Kent Workhouse Populations in 1881: a Study Based on the Census Enumerators’ Books’, Local Population Studies, 69 (2002), pp. 51–66; D.G. Jackson, ‘The Medway Union Workhouse, 1876–1881: a Study Based on the Administration and Discharge Registers and the Census Enumerators’ Books’, Local Population Studies, 75 (2005), pp. 11–32; A. Gritt and P. Park, ‘The Workhouse Populations of Lancashire in 1881’, Local Population Studies, 86 (2011), pp. 37–65. 34 Workhouse Populations of the Preston Union, 1841–61 taken a longitudinal approach.6 Collectively, these studies have shown that the composition of workhouse populations, even between neighbouring unions, could vary considerably. Local policy initiatives are an acknowledged source of this diversity, though with the exception of Hinde and Turnbull’s article, studies have generally lacked a local evidence base from which to explore this in any detail.7 More demonstrable have been socio- economic implications. Goose concluded his study of Hertfordshire in 1851 by relating variation between unions mainly to ‘basic disparities of economic structure’.8 This line of analysis has subsequently been developed elsewhere by Gritt and Park, who divided Lancashire into three broad settlement types—conurbation, urban industrial and rural— and found marked distinctions in the profile of workhouse inmates between each. Notably, women were predominant among adults under the age of 45 years in the conurbations, and men overwhelmingly so among the elderly in the rural unions.9 However, while variation is a significant feature of indoor pauper populations, at the aggregate level clear trends have emerged through these studies. Broadly, it has been shown that workhouses were dominated by the young and the old, with males forming a majority particularly in old age. Among the adult population, the married were far less likely to be found in a workhouse than their unmarried and widowed counterparts. Moreover, as the nineteenth century made way for the twentieth, Seal has shown that the workhouses she examined were increasingly dominated by the elderly, who became a majority by 1911.10 This appears to have been mirrored at national level, and reflects the evolving role of the workhouse within the wider welfare system.11 These are important patterns, though it should be noted that the ‘snapshot’ data provided by the CEBs masks the turnover of paupers across shorter periods of time. Using admission and discharge registers, Goose and Jackson have shown that workhouse populations could fluctuate significantly, with a notable peak during the winter periods. Within this, both found that a far larger proportion of men entered the workhouse than the CEBs suggest, the disparity being the result of males forming the majority of short-term inmates and were consequently less likely to be caught in the census.12 Nonetheless, as Goose has noted, the CEBs remain the central source for studying workhouse populations as they are ‘available for every locality’, providing the only means of comparison across the country.13 This article uses the CEBs to examine the indoor pauper populations of a single poor law union, Preston, during the three census years which followed the introduction of the New Poor Law in Lancashire from 1837. The article complements previous studies and 6 C. Seal, ‘Workhouse Populations in the Cheltenham and Belper Unions: a Study Based on the Census Enumerators’ Books, 1851–1911’, Family and Community History, 13 (2010), pp. 83–100. 7 Hinde and Turnbull, ‘Populations of Two Hampshire Workhouses’. 8 Goose, ‘Workhouse Populations’, p. 66. 9 Gritt and Park, ‘Workhouse Populations of Lancashire’, p. 64. 10 Seal, ‘Workhouse Populations’, p. 98. 11 Crowther, The Workhouse System, 1834–1929: the History of an English Social Institution (London, 1983), pp.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Poor Law of 1601
    Tit) POOR LA.v OF 1601 with 3oms coi3ii3rat,ion of MODSRN Of t3l9 POOR -i. -S. -* CH a i^ 3 B oone. '°l<g BU 2502377 2 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Chapter 1. Introductory. * E. Poor Relief before the Tudor period w 3. The need for re-organisation. * 4. The Great Poor La* of 1601. w 5. Historical Sketch. 1601-1909. " 6. 1909 and after. Note. The small figares occurring in the text refer to notes appended to each chapter. Chapter 1. .Introductory.. In an age of stress and upheaval, institutions and 9 systems which we have come to take for granted are subjected to a searching test, which, though more violent, can scarcely fail to be more valuable than the criticism of more normal times. A reconstruction of our educational system seems inevitable after the present struggle; in fact new schemes have already been set forth by accredited organisations such as the national Union of Teachers and the Workers' Educational Association. V/ith the other subjects in the curriculum of the schools, History will have to stand on its defence.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright (C) 1996 Akron Law Review
    Copyright (c) 1996 Akron Law Review Akron Law Review Fall, 1996 30 Akron L. Rev. 73 LENGTH: 33551 words ARTICLE: FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OF ENGLISH POOR LAWS, 1349-1834: REGULATING THE WORKING AND NONWORKING POOR by WILLIAM P. QUIGLEY * * Associate Professor and Director of the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center, Loyola University School of Law. SUMMARY: ... Like other and more famous English institutions, the making and administration of the English Poor Law was a growth, not a creation. ... This article will review how the working and the nonworking poor were regulated by 500 years of English poor laws. ... The only exception for the employers was the hiring of someone else's servant, which had a penalty of imprisonment. ... Finally, the law made it a crime, punishable by fine, to give money or lodging to any strong or able-bodied beggar. ... It assumed the central legal position for laborers that the 1601 Poor Law assumed for the nonworking poor. ... The history of the search for a consistent source of funding is best set out in the following by Sir George Nicholls: ... Manufacturing and commercial interests "who wanted to slash, if not terminate, public assistance in order to force poor displaced agricultural workers into the newly forming industrial wage earning class" gained power through the electoral reforms of 1832 and spurred parliament to create a Royal Poor Law Commission for Inquiring into the Administration and Practical Operation of the Poor Laws. ... This principle supported the reintroduction of the workhouse and other penal approaches to poor relief. ... As a consequence, the status quo, economic and societal, need not be disturbed in legislating regulations for working and nonworking poor people.
    [Show full text]
  • LPS 80 Press.Pub
    LOCAL POPULATION STUDIES No. 80 Spring 2008 Published twice yearly with support from the Department of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire. © Local Population Studies, 2008 Registered charity number 273621 ISSN 0143–2974 The cover illustration is from W. H. Pyne, Encyclopedia of Illustration of the Arts, Agriculture, &c. of Great Britain, 1845 1 EDITORIAL BOARD Peter Franklin Chris Galley Nigel Goose (editor) Andy Gritt Andrew Hinde Janet Hudson Christine Jones Alysa Levene Tom Nutt Jon Stobart Matthew Woollard SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES AND REVIEWS Articles, notes or letters, which normally should not exceed 7,000 words in length, should be addressed to Professor N. Goose at the LPS General Office. Material submitted should comply with LPS house style and a leaflet explain- ing LPS conventions can be obtained from the General Office. Books for review should be sent to Chris Galley, LPS Book Review Editor, Department of Humanities, Barnsley College, Eastgate, Barnsley, S70 2YW. SUBSCRIPTION RATES The annual subscriptions to Local Population Studies are: • individual subscription (UK and EC) is via membership of the Local Population Studies Society and is £12 (student £10) • individual subscription (other overseas) is £15 (student £13) • institutional subscription (UK and overseas) is £15. Subscriptions may be paid by Banker’s Order, forms for which may be obtained from the LPS General Office at the address below. Single copies and back numbers may be obtained from the General Office at the following rates: nos 3, 7–28, £1.40; nos 29–31, £2.25; nos 32–61, £3.00; no. 62 onwards, £4.50. All remittances should be made payable to the Local Popula- tion Studies Society.
    [Show full text]
  • The Representation of the Workhouse in Nineteenth-Century Culture
    The Representation of the Workhouse in Nineteenth-Century Culture Laura Foster Submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Cardiff University 2014 1 Acknowledgements I am grateful to the AHRC for providing the financial support that made this project possible. My supervisor, Julia Thomas, has been an endless source of advice and enthusiasm. I am deeply grateful for the unfailing interest she has taken in my research and for her support and encouragement at every stage. Heather Worthington has been on hand throughout the project, offering ideas, reading conference papers, and dealing with crises of confidence. I have her to thank for suggesting the idea of postgraduate study to me in the first place. Thanks are also due to Alison Harvey in SCOLAR, who unlocked the glass cabinet for me to browse at will, and who sent on fascinating primary material that I otherwise would not have found. David Skilton, too, has directed me to useful sources and shared with me his wisdom on nineteenth-century culture. Dean and Nathan have also provided valuable assistance with the practicalities of completing a thesis, taking care of numerous time-consuming IT issues for me. My friends in the department have been incredibly important. They have offered valuable feedback on ideas, emotional support, and lots of tea and cake. The PhD experience would not have been half so enjoyable without them. In particular, I am indebted to Helen Mckenzie, Rhys Tranter and Maura Dunst for their insightful comments. There are some friends outside of university who deserve mention: Amanda Milburn, Katie Fazal and Nicola Lewis have listened to me talking about workhouses for the past few years and, from time to time, managed to distract me from them.
    [Show full text]
  • Five Hundred Years of English Poor Laws, 1349-1834: Regulating the Working and Nonworking Poor William P
    The University of Akron IdeaExchange@UAkron Akron Law Review Akron Law Journals July 2015 Five Hundred Years of English Poor Laws, 1349-1834: Regulating the Working and Nonworking Poor William P. Quigley Please take a moment to share how this work helps you through this survey. Your feedback will be important as we plan further development of our repository. Follow this and additional works at: http://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/akronlawreview Part of the Labor and Employment Law Commons, Law and Economics Commons, and the Social Welfare Law Commons Recommended Citation Quigley, William P. (1997) "Five Hundred Years of English Poor Laws, 1349-1834: Regulating the Working and Nonworking Poor," Akron Law Review: Vol. 30 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: http://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/akronlawreview/vol30/iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Akron Law Journals at IdeaExchange@UAkron, the institutional repository of The nivU ersity of Akron in Akron, Ohio, USA. It has been accepted for inclusion in Akron Law Review by an authorized administrator of IdeaExchange@UAkron. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Quigley: Regulating the Working and Nonworking Poor Five Hundred Years of English Poor Laws, 1349-1834: Regulating the Working and Nonworking Poor by * William P. Quigley I. Introduction Like other and more famous English institutions, the making and administration of the English Poor Law was a growth, not a creation.1 Certain it is, that, on the welfare of its labouring Poor, the prosperity of a country essentially depends . Sir Frederic Eden, The State of the Poor (1797)2 The English poor laws, beginning with the Statute of Laborers of 1349-1350 and proceeding to the reforms of 1834, regulated both the working and nonworking poor.3 From feudalism through 500 years of regulation by the poor laws work and poverty journeyed hand in hand.
    [Show full text]
  • Subject Guide 11 – Poor Law Records Issue No
    Durham County Record Office County Hall Durham DH1 5UL Telephone: 03000 267619 Email: [email protected] Website: www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk Subject Guide 11 – Poor Law Records Issue no. 7 July 2020 Contents Introduction 1 Historical development 1 Old Poor Law 2 New Poor Law 2 Scope and Organisation of this Leaflet 2 Old Poor Law Records 2 New Poor Law Records 3 Other Records 3 Records Held, by Union 3 Auckland Poor Law Union Area 3 Chester le Street Poor Law Union 4 Darlington Poor Law Union 4 Durham Poor Law Union 5 Easington Poor Law Union 5 Gateshead Poor Law Union 6 Hartlepool Poor Law Union (created from Stockton Union in 1859) 6 Houghton-le-Spring Poor Law Union 6 Lanchester Poor Law Union 7 Sedgefield Poor Law Union 7 South Shields Poor Law Union 8 Stockton-on-Tees Poor Law Union 8 Sunderland Poor Law Union 9 Teesdale Poor Law Union 9 Weardale Poor Law Union 10 Introduction This leaflet is a guide to Poor Law records held at Durham County Record Office, in particular those that might have potential for family history research. The aims are: to indicate which of our catalogues should be consulted for further information about record holdings relating to particular places; to explain some of the terminology in use; and to list records which may contain personal information. Many poor law records are subject to a 100 year closure under data protection legislation. Sensitive volumes where the latest record is dated within the last 100 years have a restricted access; contact us for details.
    [Show full text]
  • What We Talk About When We Talk About Poverty W W W
    The DaWS Working Paper Series is published by and edited at the Danish Centre for Welfare Studies (DaWS) at the University of Southern Denmark. It aims to advance academic knowledge in comparative welfare states and public policies by provid-ing advance access to promising new theoretical and empirical research in political science, political economy, sociology and history. WP 2018 - 3 Series Chief Editor: Pieter Vanhuysse ([email protected]) Editorial Board: Heidi Vad Jønsson Romana Careja Peter Starke Melike Wulfgramm DANISH CENTRE FOR WELFARE STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN DENMARK Cathie Jo Martin & Tom Chevalier Boston University & Harvard Center for European Studies What We Talk about When We Talk about Poverty w w w . s d u . d k / w e l f a r e What We Talk about When We Talk about Poverty Cathie Jo Martin (Boston University) *& Tom Chevalier (Harvard Center for European Studies) *Corresponding Author: Professor of Political Science, Boston University, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 Email: [email protected] INTRODUCTION In March 2006, French youth took to the streets to protest a “flexicurity” model of labor regulation that would allow employers easily to lay-off and to pay sub-minimum wages to young workers. French citizens rejected measures that could potentially weaken labor market projections for core workers, and preferred to use charity and passive benefits for marginal workers such as unemployed youth. In sharp contrast, Danes across the political spectrum readily supported their “flexicurity” model – which combined strong work requirements for the unemployed with extensive training – as a means of ensuring that all potential workers would make an economic contribution to society.
    [Show full text]
  • Britain's Future Strength, the Health of Elementary School.Children, 1867-1907: a Study in Social Policy, Legislative Action and Government Growth
    BRITAIN'S FUTURE STRENGTH, THE HEALTH OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.CHILDREN, 1867-1907: A STUDY IN SOCIAL POLICY, LEGISLATIVE ACTION AND GOVERNMENT GROWTH by ANTHONY STUART FARSON B.A., University of Guelph A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA May, 1976 CY ANTHONY STUART FARSON In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of History The University of British Columbia 2075 Wesbrook Place Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5 ABSTRACT The major objective of this thesis is to throw new light on the problem of "how" and "why" the function of the State within society changed dramatically during the first few years of the twentieth century By concentrating on the Liberal Government's measures of 1906 to 1907 to improve the health of working-class children this thesis hopes to show that the role of men and their beliefs played a far more important part in the development of the "British Welfare State" than has hitherto been credited. By illustrating how the social, political, and economic condi tions of the period 1870 to 1900 affected the consciousness of individ• uals and groups, it attempts to explain why there was a delay between the time when the extent of poverty became intolerable and the time when measures were enacted to relieve the problem.
    [Show full text]
  • The Poor Law Commission's Migration Scheme, 1835-37
    BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: THE POOR LAW COMMISSION'S MIGRATION SCHEME, 1835-37 by PETER BRIAN PARK A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirements of the degree of MA (by Research) at the University of Central Lancashire. September 2008 STUDENT DECLARATION I declare that while registered as a candidate for the research degree, I have not been a registered candidate or enrolled student for another award of the University or other academic or professional institution. I declare that no material contained in this dissertation has been used in any other submission for an academic award and is solely my own work. R- I Peter Brian Park MA (by Research) School of Education and Social Science ABSTRACT Between January 1835 and June 1837 over 500 families, comprised of more than 5,000 individuals, moved from the agricultural counties of southern and eastern England to the manufacturing districts of the north. Their migration was carried out under the auspices of the Poor Law Commission's home migration scheme (one of the first attempts at social engineering by a modem British government agency), but approximately the same numbers followed them independently. The research described investigates the aspirations of several of the principal stakeholders and compares them with the outcomes of the scheme, to establish whether it was a success. A few families failed and returned home fairly quickly, but over seventy percent of those that migrated considered themselves better off than their kin in the south and chose to remain in the manufacturing districts. Indeed, acting primarily on their advice, an equal number of their kith and kin had followed them independently.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Institutions and Practices Which Activate Social Control, Maintain Social Order and Perform Functions of Socialisation and Social Protection
    Edinburgh Research Explorer Accounting, paper shadows and the stigmatised poor Citation for published version: Walker, SP 2008, 'Accounting, paper shadows and the stigmatised poor', Accounting, Organizations and Society, vol. 33, no. 4-5, pp. 453-487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2007.02.006 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1016/j.aos.2007.02.006 Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Peer reviewed version Published In: Accounting, Organizations and Society Publisher Rights Statement: © Walker, S. P. (2008). Accounting, paper shadows and the stigmatised poor. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 33(4-5), 453-487. 10.1016/j.aos.2007.02.006 General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 27. Sep. 2021 ACCOUNTING, PAPER SHADOWS AND THE STIGMATISED POOR Stephen P. Walker Cardiff Business School Aberconway Building Colum Drive Cardiff CF10 3EU [email protected] ACCOUNTING, PAPER SHADOWS AND THE STIGMATISED POOR Abstract The social implications of accounting are explored through an historical study of spoiled identities in state welfare systems.
    [Show full text]
  • Incentives, Information, and Welfare: England's New Poor Law and the Workhouse Test
    Incentives, Information, and Welfare: England's New Poor Law and the Workhouse Test Timothy Besley London School of Economics Stephen Coate Cornell University and Timothy W. Guinnane * Yale University This version: May 2001 Abstract The Poor Law Act of 1834 sought to change the organization and basis of English poor relief policy. Central to the New Poor Law was the reduction of the authority of local parishes and the elimination of outdoor relief for the able-bodied through the use of the workhouse test. Workhouses were large, centralized institutions for housing and feeding paupers. The workhouse test was a simple administrative device: when an individual applied for poor relief, officials could make relief conditional on entering the workhouse. Two features of the New Poor Law have not received sufficient attention. First, the workhouse test was viewed by its advocates as a substitute for direct information on the poor. Industrialization and agricultural modernization had changed English society in ways that made it much more difficult to judge who was poor and why. Second, much of the cost savings and poverty reduction claimed for the new system would come in the future if at all; the New Poor Law faced the great difficulty of credibly committing to a new regime in poor relief. Some features of the New Poor Law reflect efforts to overcome those credibility problems. Our emphasis on the changing technology of poor relief poses a counterbalance to historians who have emphasized increasingly harsh attitudes toward the poor. * Address any correspondence to Guinnane. We thank Mary MacKinnon and Peter Mandler for helpful comments on an earlier draft.
    [Show full text]
  • The Discourse and Practice of Assisted Emigration of the Labouring Poor from East London to Canada, 1857-1913
    BUILDING THE ‘BRIDGE OF HOPE’: THE DISCOURSE AND PRACTICE OF ASSISTED EMIGRATION OF THE LABOURING POOR FROM EAST LONDON TO CANADA, 1857-1913 A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Department of History University of Saskatchewan By Elizabeth A. Scott © Elizabeth A. Scott, July 2014. All Rights Reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Doctoral degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my dissertation work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my dissertation. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or in part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of History Room 522, Arts Building 9 Campus Drive University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5 Canada i ABSTRACT Between 1857 and 1913 approximately 120,000 of the labouring poor from the East End of London were assisted to emigrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and sometimes South Africa in order to transplant surplus urban labour to emerging colonial markets and to provide the poor with a means of personal and financial improvement.
    [Show full text]