Poor Relief - Law Commission

(d) all byelaws made under the authority of the 1764 Act to continue in force;
Guardians to have the power to make new byelaws for the better
employing and supporting the poor; power to repeal byelaws (Section 4)
(e) ratepayers competent to give evidence in matters concerning this Act
(Section 5)
(f) lawful for the Guardians to assess the poor rate to raise such sums as
were necessary to provide for the poor and repay money borrowed under
the 1764 Act; parishes to be charged in proportion to the average number
of paupers sent to the House of Industry (Section 6 - repealed by the
1833 Act – see below)
(g) Directors and Guardians authorised to alter the rates at their annual or
quarterly meetings; Directors required to review the rates and the
proportions in which they were charged every 7 years (Section 7)
(h) if, in a period of 7 years, a parish had sent no poor to the House of
Industry, that parish should be charged only for the general expense of
maintaining the House of Industry; provisions to enable the Guardians to
ascertain the place of settlement of the poor; Directors to be elected to
attend committee meetings to audit accounts; penalty for failing to attend
if so elected (Sections 8 to 10)
(i) punishment of the poor in the House of Industry; Guardians to provide
lodgings for women of loose morals; lawful for the Guardians to borrow
money not exceeding £5000 for the maintenance of the House of Industry
(Sections 11 to 13)
(j) provisions of the 1764 Act not repealed or altered under this Act to be
extended to this Act; expenses and status of this Act (Sections 14 to 16).
3 & 4 Will.4 c.xlviii (1833) (Wangford (Suffolk) Poor Relief Act)
5. According to its long title, the purpose of the 1833 Act was:
to alter and enlarge the Powers of several Acts passed for the better Relief
and Employment of the Poor in the Hundred of Wangford in the County of
Suffolk.
6. The preamble to the 1833 Act recorded that the purposes of the 1764 and 1812
Acts could “be attended with still greater Utility if the same were further extended and
enlarged”.
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