Poor Relief - Law Commission

Reference Extent of repeal or revocation
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9 Will.3 c.33 (1697) The whole Act.
(Exeter Workhouse Act)
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9 Will.3 c.33 (1697) (Exeter Workhouse Act)
1. This note proposes the repeal of an obsolete 17 th century Act passed to provide
relief for the poor living in the City and County of Exeter.
2. The preamble to the 1697 Act recorded that:
the poor of the City of Exon 29 do dayly multiply and idleness and debauchery
… doth greatly increase for want of workhouses to set them to work.
3. The 1697 Act provided as follows: 30
(a) from 30 June 1698 a Corporation was to be established within the City of
Exeter comprising the Mayor, Aldermen and 40 other inhabitants of the
City, all such persons to be known as Guardians of the poor; the 40
inhabitants were to be elected at meetings of those residents of the City
who contributed to paying for the relief of the poor
(b) tenure of office of the 40 inhabitants and provisions for their replacement
(c) Mayor, Aldermen and 40 inhabitants to be incorporated and known as
the Governor, Deputy Governor, Assistants and Guardians of the Poor of
the City and County of Exon with power to hold and transfer land and
other property; first meeting to be held on 28 June 1698 to elect officers
from within their number including a Governor and Deputy Governor;
procedure for replacement of these officers
(d) the Governor authorised to convene a court or assembly of the
Corporation every two months, or at any time with two days’ notice;
penalty for any officers failing to carry out their official functions; power to
summon inhabitants of the City to appear before the court
(e) the Corporation authorised to make bye laws for the better government of
the Corporation and the better employment of the poor of the City;
authority for the Corporation to buy a hospital, workhouse or house of
correction and to provide whatever was required to set to work the poor
of the City; power to compel the idle poor to take up employment,
including employment in the workhouse, Corporation to have jurisdiction
29 Exon is the old English name for Exeter.
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