| 1539 |
Dissolution of remaining monasteries.
|
| 1547 |
The Statute of Legal Settlement provided for the branding or enslavement of sturdy beggars. The impotent poor were to receive relief and have cottages erected for their use.
|
| 1576 |
An Act For Setting of the Poor on Work, and for the
Avoiding of Idleness stipulated:
- Every town to set up stocks of materials for the poor to work
on.
- Every county to set up a House of Correction for anyone
refusing to work.
|
| 1597-8 |
An Acte for the Reliefe of the Poore required
Churchwardens and four overseers in each parish to:
- Set children and poor to work
- Relieve the impotent
- Bind out pauper children as apprentices
- Tax 'every inhabitant and occupier of lands' in the parish for
above purposes.
|
| 1601 |
An Acte for the Reliefe of the Poore
consolidated and replaced a variety of previous legislation and aimed at:
- Establishment of parochial responsibility, with churchwardens
or overseers (from two to four in number, depending on the size of the parish)
allocating relief.
- Suppression of begging.
- Provision of work.
- Use of county Houses of Correction for vagrants.
- Setting to work and apprenticeship of children.
|
| 1647 |
London Corporation of the Poor set up to:
- Erect workhouses and houses of correction
- Enforce laws against vagabonds
- Set the poor to work
|
| 1662 |
An Act for the better Relief of the Poor of this
Kingdom (The Settlement Act) stipulated that newcomers to a parish
"like to be chargeable" could be removed upon the orders of two justices of the
peace if a complaint was made against them within 40 days of arrival, provided
they had not rented a house worth at least £10 a year.
|
| 1696 |
Bristol Incorporation formed by a local Act giving it powers
to erect a workhouse etc.
|
| 1697 |
An Act For supplying some Defects in the Laws for the
Relief of the Poor stipulated:
- Newcomers with certificates to be removed only when
chargeable
- Those receiving relief to wear identifying badges
- Fines for those who refuse to take pauper apprentices
|
| 1723 |
Knatchbull's Act (The Workhouse Test Act) Enabled workhouses
to be set up by parishes either singly, or in combination with neighbouring
parishes. In addition, relief was to be offered only to those willing to enter
the workhouse.
|
| 1780 |
Sunday School movement begins with opening of a school in
Gloucester by Robert Raikes.
|
| 1782 |
Gilbert's Act Authorised parishes to unite and set up a
common workhouse controlled by a board of guardians appointed by JPs.
Able-bodied poor to be dealt with outside the workhouse e.g. by providing them
with work and supplementing wages.
|