The final task is to talk like an historian and answer the quiz picking up points for the harder questions. Act for the relief of the poor 1601 the reader wiki. In 1572, to care for the poor, the first compulsory local poor tax law was passed. Summary of the elizabethan poor laws free law essays. Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in elizabethan times, but attitudes started to change towards the end of elizabeths reign. The act for the relief of the poor 1601, popularly known as the elizabethan poor law, 43rd elizabeth or the old poor law was passed in 1601 and created a poor law system for england and wales. Relieve the poor by dispensing either food or money. The poor relief act poor law of 1601 allowed each church to collect money to give to the poor who were weak and helpless such as the elderly and the blind. This became known as the elizabethan poor law and remained in effect for over 200 years. The 1601 poor relief act 1601, the 43rd year of the reign of elizabeth i, saw the passing of an acte for the reliefe of the poore 43 eliz. Assistance depended on the residential qualification of living locally. Information sheet about the details of the elizabethan poor law 1601 includes curriculum leveled activities. As finally codified in the legislation of 1601, it persisted without fundamental alteration until 1834. The elizabethan poor law of 1601 formalized earlier practices of poor relief contained in the act for the relief of the poor 1597 yet is often cited as the beginning of the old poor law system.
Assistance depended on the residential qualification of. The elizabethan poor law is a collection of laws serving human rights by distribution of relief goods for the poor. The poor law act 1601 was also known as the elizabethan poor law, 43rd elizabeth so called because the law was passed in the 43rd year of elizabeths reign old poor law after the passing of the poor law amendment act 1834. Elizabethan poor law 1601 definition by babylons free. Shortly thereafter, the elizabethan poor law of 1601. The old poor law was not one law but a collection of laws passed between the sixteenth and eighteenth.
Jul 17, 2018 students subsequently have to analyse the new elizabethan poor law and assess its significance and impact upon society as a whole. The resource comes in pdf and powerpoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change. The number of vagrants traveling beggars and thieves went down. Poverty and social regulation in elizabethan england. The 1601 elizabethan poor law continued with further adaptations for example the 1662 settlement act, gilberts act 1782 and the speenhamland system of 1795 until the passing of the 1834 poor law amendment act and formed the basis. After the anglican church, the english poorlaw was the most longlasting of elizabethan achievements. Finally, the poor law of 1601 provided a clear definition of the poor and articulated services that they were to receive. They also provided workhouses for the poor by casualty, such as the sick and the senile, so that they could earn money and improve their lifestyles. The impotent poor, impoverished widows, widowers, children and the. The 1601 elizabethan poor law continued with additional variations and adjustments, for example the 1662 settlement act, gilberts act 1782 and the speenhamland system of 1795 until the passing of the 1834 poor law amendment act which ultimately formed the basis of poor relief throughout the country for more than two centuries.
However, the history of the poor law in england and wales tends to be framed by two major statutes. Welfare and the politics of poverty retro report the new york times duration. The elizabethan poor law was passed in 1601 as a state response to the dire need of the poor in british north america and acted as measures for the relief of destitution fowle, 1881, p. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Introduction like other and more famous english institutions, the making and administration of the english poor law was a growth, not a creation. Then, in 1597, the post of overseer of the poor was created. The poor law put into legislation the right of local justices of the peace to levy tax for the relief and assistance of the poor. This dates back to elizabethan legislation of 1597 and 1601 and the subsequent settlement act of 1662 but the system which developed over time took on different characteristics in. Poor law act 1601 in england social work education care. During earlier times the lords were directly responsible for the care of their tenants. This legislation is the foundation for the current social welfare system existing today in. The poor laws also played a major part in elizabethan government. The system became law in 15978, but the act that consolidated the system dates from 1601. The law was administered by the parish to provide food, clothing, or monetary services to some impoverished, disabled, and even the mentally. The poor relief act 1601 43 eliz 1 c 2 was an act of the parliament of england. The poor law act 1601 was also known as the elizabethan poor law, 43rd elizabeth or old poor law after the passing of the poor law amendment act in 1834. The creation of the first elizabethan poor law or the poor law of 1601 made this evident. The background the chapter traces the origin of welfare practices and caring for the needy from primitive times to the elizabethan poor laws.
What minor changes were made to the 1598 poor law by the 1601 act. Be it enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that the churchwardens of every parish, and four, three or two substantial housholders there, as shall be thought meet, having respect to the proportion and greatness of the same parish and parishes, to be nominated yearly in easter week, or within one month. The 1601 act remained the legal authority for the right to. A poor law was introduced in 1601 to address the issue. Poor law, in british history, body of laws undertaking to provide relief for the poor, developed in 16thcentury england and maintained, with various changes, until after world war ii. The poor law in cumbria cumbria county history trust. The elizabethan poor law of 1601 and how it affects social. A compulsory system of poor relief was instituted in england during the reign of elizabeth i. Interesting facts and information about elizabethan england and the poor law, the acts of acts of 1552, 1563, 1572, 1576 and 1597 related to provision for the poor on a parish basis whilst the 1601 poor law created a national system to provide for the poor.
Pauper girls were allowed to leave apprenticeships before the age of 21 if they married, and the number of overseers was reduced from 4 to 2. Before the reformation it had always been considered christian duty to carry out the instructions laid down in matthew chapter 25 that all christians shall. Ccht the poor law in cumbria before and after 1834 1. In the medieval era the poor were dealt with in a number of ways. Although the role played by poor relief was significantly modified by the poor law amendment act of 1834, the crusade against outrelief of the 1870s, and the adoption of various social insurance programs in the early twentieth century, the poor law. It created a system administered at parish level, 38 paid for by levying local rates on rate payers. The poor law of 1601 this law gave charity to the increasing number of poor people while finding work for those who would work but could not. Poverty and the elizabethan poor law teaching resources.
Poor law was settlement law, possession of a settlement conferred legal rights and entitlements upon the settled poor and imposed a legal duty to maintain them upon local ratepayers. It formalised earlier practices of poor relief distribution in england and wales. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in pdf and powerpoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change. The poor law made it compulsory for parishes to levy a poor rate to fund financial public assistance support for those who could not work. The act for the relief of the poor 1601, popularly known as the elizabethan poor law, 43rd elizabeth or the old poor law was passed in 1601 and created a national poor law system for england and wales. Government legislation including the 1601 poor law. The poorlaws also played a major part in elizabethan government. This quiz and worksheet combo will help you quickly assess when the elizabethan poor law was enacted and the reformation. Relief for those too ill or old to work, the socalled impotent poor, was in the form of a payment or. Was the old poor law pre1834 efficient andor generous. Why was it so fiercely resisted and to what effect. They will also by the end of the lesson recognise the significance of the new elizabethan poor law and how the impact of poverty varied across the country which is needed to be able to obtain the more complex reasoning answers demanded in the aqa gcse markschemes. In 1601 an act of parliament called the poor law was passed by parliament.
The elizabethan poor laws, as codified in 159798, were administered through parish overseers, who provided relief for the aged, sick, and infant poor, as well as work for the ablebodied in workhouses. The poor law stated that each parish was to elect overseers annually at easter with the approval of two or more justices of the peace. Queen elizabeth proclaimed a set of laws designed to maintain order and contribute to the general good of the kingdom. The church became responsible for the poor people once again before it. Historical precedents of taxsupported relief for the poor in 1601, england was experiencing a severe economic depression, with large scale unemployment and widespread famine. The poor laws life in elizabethan england bbc bitesize.
The poor law 1601 sought to consolidate all previous legislative provisions for the relief of the poor. The poor law of 1601 also created a system of administration for distributing charity. After the anglican church, the english poor law was the most longlasting of elizabethan achievements. What was the impact of the 1834 poor law amendment act. Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 19%. The act for the relief of the poor 1601, popularly known as the elizabethan poor law, 43rd elizabeth or the old poor law was passed in 1601 and created a poor law system for england and wales it formalised earlier practices of poor relief distribution in england and wales and is generally considered a. The elizabethan poor law provided for indoor relief and outdoor relief. This legislation is the foundation for the current social welfare system existing today in great britain. The basic principles of the elizabethan poor laws of 1601 were local investigation and administration of relief, work as a component of all assistance, and categorization of the poor into three groups. Oct 10, 2011 the elizabethan poor law of 1601 formalized earlier practices of poor relief contained in the act for the relief of the poor 1597 yet is often cited as the beginning of the old poor law system.
The elizabethan poor laws, as codified in 159798, were administered through parish overseers, who provided relief for the aged, sick, and infant poor, as well. Current social welfare history texts in the united states tend to cover quickly the time periods before the passage of. In 1601, another act for the relief of the poor was passed. A brief history of social work sage publications inc.
The 1601 elizabethan poor law continued with further adaptations for example the 1662 settlement act, gilberts act 1782 and the speenhamland system of 1795 until the passing of the 1834 poor law amendment act and formed the basis of poor relief throughout the country for over two centuries. School of social work university of southern maine. It created a system administered at parish level, paid for by levying local rates on rate payers. Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in elizabethan times, but attitudes started to change towards the end of elizabeths reign and the government decided to take. At the time of passing it was referred to as the 1601 act for the relief of the poor. The 1601 poor relief act full text c peter higginbotham. This act led to an attempt to discriminate between the criminal population and the poor.
That is one reason why we should pay some attention to its origins. This paper explains how policies aimed at addressing the issue of social welfare of the poor people have been changing since the introduction of the elizabethan poor law of 1601. Work out how much money would be needed for the numbers of poor in that district and set the poor rate accordingly. The basic principles of the elizabethan poor laws of 1601 869 words 4 pages. Students subsequently have to analyse the new elizabethan poor law and assess its significance and impact upon society as a whole. Translation of elizabethan poor law 1601 in english. In 1601, queen elizabeth, passed a law which was also known a 43. Regulating the working and nonworking poor by william p. Jul 17, 2016 the elizabethan poor law of 1601 in england the elizabethan poor laws were passed as a response to the increasing number of poor in great britain.