The following article presents a Timeline of the Poor Law system from its origins in the Tudor and Elizabethan era to its abolition in 1948.

1300s

*1344- Royal Ordinance stated that lepers should leave London. *1388- Statute of Cambridge passed.

1400s

*1494-

Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494 The Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494 (11 Henry VII c.2) was an Act of Parliament passed during the reign of Henry VII. The Act stated that "vagabonds, idle and suspected persons shall be set in the stocks for three days and three nights and have n ...

was passed. *1499-

was disputed in parliament.

1500s

*1597 - The

Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 was a piece of poor law legislation in England and Wales. It provided the first complete code of poor relief and was later amended by the Elizabethan Poor Law The Poor Relief Act 1601 (43 Eliz 1 c 2) wa ...

provides the first complete code of Poor Relief

1600s

*1601 -

Old Poor Law The Poor Relief Act 1601 (43 Eliz 1 c 2) was an Act of the Parliament of England. 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 la ...

passed. This would remain the basis of the Poor Law system until 1834 *1662 -

Poor Relief Act 1662 The Poor Relief Act 1662 (14 Car 2 c 12) was an Act of the Cavalier Parliament of England. It was ''an Act for the Better Relief of the Poor of this Kingdom'' and is also known as the Settlement Act or the Settlement and Removal Act. The purpose ...

passed to deal with the problems of settlement *1697 -

Poor Act 1697 The Poor Act 1697 (8 & 9 Will. III, c. 30), formally titled An Act for supplying some Defects in the Laws for the Relief of the Poor of this Kingdom, was a 1697 welfare statute, operating within the framework of the Act for the Relief of the Poor ...

passed

1700s

*1723 - the workhouses decided to give jobs to the poor so there wouldn't been so much of them on the street *1782 -

Relief of the Poor Act 1782 The Relief of the Poor Act 1782 (22 Geo.3 c.83), also known as Gilbert's Act, was a British poor relief law proposed by Thomas Gilbert which aimed to organise poor relief on a county basis, counties being organised into parishes which could set ...

passed.

1800s

*1815 - The French Wars come to an end. *1830 - The Swing Riots highlight the possibility of agricultural unrest. *1832 - The Royal Commission into the Operation of the Poor Laws begins its investigation into the Poor Law system *1834 -

Poor Law Amendment Act The ''Poor Law Amendment Act 1834'' (PLAA) known widely as the New Poor Law, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Earl Grey. It completely replaced earlier legislation based on the ''Poor Relief ...

passed *1842 -

Outdoor Labour Test Order The Outdoor Labour Test Order was a piece of policy issued by the Poor Law Commission on 13 April 1842 which allowed the use of outdoor relief to the able-bodied poor. The order was issued after there was some opposition to the Commission's previ ...

allows outdoor relief despite the Poor Law Amendment Act's ban on it *1844 -

Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order The Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order was an order from the Poor Law Commission issued on 21 December 1844 which aimed to end the distribution of outdoor relief to the able-bodied poor.Poor Law Commission The Poor Law Commission was a body established to administer poor relief after the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. The commission was made up of three commissioners who became known as "The Bashaws of Somerset House", their secretary a ...

is abolished and replaced by the

Poor Law Board The Poor Law Board was established in the United Kingdom in 1847 as a successor body to the Poor Law Commission overseeing the administration of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. The new body was headed by a President, and with the Lord President of ...

*1848 - The Huddersfield workhouse scandal occurs. *1865 - The Union Chargeability Act 1865 is passed *1867 - The Second Reform Act *1871 - The

Local Government Board The Local Government Board (LGB) was a British Government supervisory body overseeing local administration in England and Wales from 1871 to 1919. The LGB was created by the Local Government Board Act 1871 (C. 70) and took over the public health a ...

takes the powers of the

1900s

*1905 -

Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905-09 Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

set up by the outgoing Conservative government. *1906 - The Liberal Government is elected and begins an ambitious programme of welfare reforms. *1909 - The Minority report *1929 - The workhouse system is abolished by the

Local Government Act 1929 The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales. The Act abolished the system of poor law unions in England and Wales and their board ...

. *1948 - The Poor Law system abolished by the

National Assistance Act 1948 The National Assistance Act 1948 is an Act of Parliament passed in the United Kingdom by the Labour government of Clement Attlee. It formally abolished the Poor Law system that had existed since the reign of Elizabeth I, and established a social ...

References

External links

Timeline
{{Poor Law English Poor Laws