Poor Relief - Law Commission

(d) the Guardians incorporated under this Act to be liable for the obligations
of the corporation formed under the 1764 Act; persons appointed under
the 1764 Act to remain in post until others are appointed as directed
under this Act; money in the hands of persons under the 1764 Act to be
applied by them in pursuance of this Act (Sections 6 - 8)
(e) provision for quarterly meetings of the Guardians; the procedure for
annually electing Directors; replacement of Guardians on their death or
removal; Guardians to settle their accounts at the quarterly meetings
(Sections 9 - 11)
(f) bye-laws made by the previous corporation to continue in force;
Guardians empowered to make and repeal bye-laws (Section 12)
(g) Guardians to appoint a Treasurer and a Clerk; offices of the Treasurer
and Clerk not to be held by the same person; penalty for holding both
offices; Guardians empowered to appoint a special constable, a Governor
and Matrons for the running of the workhouse; Guardians empowered to
appoint a clergyman, schoolmaster and doctor for the workhouse; officers
appointed to be paid their expenses; officers to pay a security for the
discharge of duties relating to their office; rewards to the Governor and
Matron for the performance of their duties; Guardians may remove
officers; penalty on officers for stealing from the workhouse (Sections 13 –
22)
(h) Guardians to assemble committees for each quarter; smaller committees
to be established for each month; quorum for meetings; Guardians to
defray their own expenses for attending meetings; penalty for neglecting
or refusing to hold meetings (Sections 23 - 27)
(i) lawful for the Guardians to apprentice poor children for a period of up to
seven years or until 21 (for a male) or 18 (for a female); a master quitting
a parish while in charge of an apprentice had to sign the apprentice over
to the new owner of the business; arrangements for apprentices made
under the 1764 Act to remain valid; binding out of children to be recorded;
apprentices ill-treated to be discharged by the Guardians and the master
to be fined; apprenticeship of a child within the workhouse not to affect the
settlement rights of that child (Sections 28 – 33)
(j) Guardians authorised to hire out poor persons to carry out such work as
bringing in the harvest; the profits from the labour of the poor to be
applied in relieving the poor rates; rewards may be given to the
industrious poor (Sections 34 - 37)
156