The Early History of English Poor Relief

Table of Contents

1. The beginnings of the secular control of poor relief
2. The causes of the reorganisation of poor relief
3. 1514–69: poor relief in the towns
4. 1514–69: the Privy Council and Parliament
5. Review of the general characteristics of public poor relief, 1514–69
6. 1569–97: Parliament and the Privy Council
7. 1569–97: the measures of the towns and the events of the years 1594–7
8. 1597–1644: Parliament and the Privy Council
9. 1597–1644: the local machinery for administration
10. Methods of relief, 1597–1644
11. Methods of relief, 1597–1644 (continued)
12. 1597–1644: the administration of the poor law as a whole
13. Poor relief in France, Scotland, and England during the civil war and commonwealth
14. Conclusions
Appendix 1. Extracts from the Journals of the Common Council of London
Appendix 2. Extract from the census of the poor taken at Norwich recorded in the 'Maioris Bocke for the Pore'
Appendix 3. Extracts from the 'Orders for the poor' drawn up in Norwich, May 1571
Appendix 4. Report concerning scarcity from Norfolk, 1586
Appendix 5. Part of a draft of orders for remedying the scarcity of corn in 1596
Appendix 6. Accounts of the churchwardens and overseers of the parish of Steplgrove, co. Somerset, for the year 1599
Appendix 7. Orders made by the justices responsible for Aylesham and Reipham, c. Norfolk, 23rd October 1622
Appendix 8. Report of the justices from Lackford and the half hundred of Exning, February 7th 1622/3
Appendix 9. Extract from the Privy Council register. Copy of a letter sent to the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the counties of Suffolk and Essex concerning the employment of the poor
Appendix 10. Letter concerning the restoration of order and relief of the poor in Rutland
Appendix 11. Letter from Sir Thomas Barrington concerning the eight hundreds of Yorkshire
Appendix 12. Justices' reports on the execution of the Book of Orders of January 1630/1
Appendix 13. The division of monies collected for the poor January 1642/3 in Norwich
Appendix 14. Report of the four royal hospitals, 1645
Appendix 15. Ordinances of the Lords for putting in execution the laws for the relief of the poor.

Look Inside

• Marketing Excerpt (802 KB)
• Index (1960 KB)
• Front Matter (883 KB)
• Copyright Information Page (75 KB)
• Table of Contents (429 KB)