The impact of Sturges Bourne's acts (1818 and 1819) in rural southern England
The impact of Sturges Bourne's acts (1818 and 1819) in rural southern England
England was blighted with frequent agricultural depressions in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries. Agricultural labourers were hit particularly hard, suffering a deterioration ofboth their standard of living and quality of life. The crisis brought poor law reform to the parliamentary agenda and led to the passage of two non-compulsory pieces of legislation, Sturges Bourne’s Acts of 1818 and 1819. These permitted parishes to ‘tighten up’ the distribution of poor relief through the formation of Select Vestries and the appointment of Assistant Overseers. While previous studies have tended to represent the legislation as a failing reform in the shadow of the Poor Law Amendment Act (1834), little research has exposed the relief policies developed under their auspices. This paper examines the impact of the adoption of Sturges Bourne’s Acts on poor relief provision in rural communities of the south of England using parish administrative documents. Firstly, it examines the general policies released by Select Vestries and orders sent to Assistant Overseers with the aim of reducing poor relief. Secondly, the paper examines the treatment of individual relief claimants. The Acts resulted in greater surveillance of the everyday lives of the poor, which re-drew the distinction between ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor and ultimately changed individuals’ entitlement to relief under the old poor law.
Shave, S.
c67f9fdc-1a20-495e-9471-2fc975194712
Shave, S.
c67f9fdc-1a20-495e-9471-2fc975194712
Shave, S.
(2010)
The impact of Sturges Bourne's acts (1818 and 1819) in rural southern England.
Rural History 2010, , Sussex, United Kingdom.
12 - 15 Sep 2010.
(Submitted)
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Conference or Workshop Item
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Abstract
England was blighted with frequent agricultural depressions in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries. Agricultural labourers were hit particularly hard, suffering a deterioration ofboth their standard of living and quality of life. The crisis brought poor law reform to the parliamentary agenda and led to the passage of two non-compulsory pieces of legislation, Sturges Bourne’s Acts of 1818 and 1819. These permitted parishes to ‘tighten up’ the distribution of poor relief through the formation of Select Vestries and the appointment of Assistant Overseers. While previous studies have tended to represent the legislation as a failing reform in the shadow of the Poor Law Amendment Act (1834), little research has exposed the relief policies developed under their auspices. This paper examines the impact of the adoption of Sturges Bourne’s Acts on poor relief provision in rural communities of the south of England using parish administrative documents. Firstly, it examines the general policies released by Select Vestries and orders sent to Assistant Overseers with the aim of reducing poor relief. Secondly, the paper examines the treatment of individual relief claimants. The Acts resulted in greater surveillance of the everyday lives of the poor, which re-drew the distinction between ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor and ultimately changed individuals’ entitlement to relief under the old poor law.
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Submitted date: 13 September 2010
Venue - Dates:
Rural History 2010, , Sussex, United Kingdom, 2010-09-12 - 2010-09-15
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Local EPrints ID: 150073
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/150073
PURE UUID: 2a39ea38-629f-4131-afa8-178421ae7921
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Date deposited: 04 May 2010 11:07
Last modified: 10 Dec 2021 17:57
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Author:
S. Shave
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