Poor Relief - Law Commission

were churchwardens or overseers in the previous twelve years required to
produce books and accounts; provision for assessment of rates in the
absence of such books and accounts; all parish officers required to assist
the Directors in the execution of this Act; penalty for defaulting parish
officers (sections 37 to 40)
(h) appointment of constables; charity money to be included in the calculation
of rates assessments; this Act not to affect parish officers’ other powers to
raise money to provide poor relief; parish officers allowed to retain money
to provide poor relief for one-off purposes; all goods and chattels used for
the poor to vest in the Directors; penalty for stealing, damaging or
receiving such property (sections 41 to 44)
(i) Directors’ business to be transacted only at official meetings; penalty for
Directors failing to attend meetings; provision for previous year’s rates to
be applied in event of failure to assess new rates; removal of poor
persons between parishes; bonds indemnifying the parishes from the
costs of illegitimate children (sections 45 to 48)
(j) Directors empowered to make bye-laws for giving effect to the purposes
of this Act; procedure for making bye-laws; rewards for industrious
workhouse inmates; this Act not to give the Corporation any powers in
relation to the poor in any almshouses or hospitals; this Act not to extend
to any district separately liable to maintain its own poor; charitable gifts to
be paid to the treasurer; provision for benefactors to be elected
Guardians; all contracts and proceedings to be recorded in writing;
inspection of books and papers (sections 49 to 57)
(k) workhouse inmates not to acquire any settlement rights in the parish of
Ellesmere; ascertaining the place of settlement of illegitimate children;
certain appeals to require the consent of Directors; ratepayers competent
to give evidence in settlement cases; poor rates to cease if workhouse
profits meet the cost of maintaining the poor in the workhouse (sections
58 to 62)
(l) recovery and application of penalties; form of conviction; appeals; civil
procedure issues; expenses and status of this Act (sections 63 to 70).
5. The workhouse built pursuant to the 1791 Act was situated at Haughton and
opened in 1795. It was eventually taken over by the Ellesmere Poor Law Union and
become known as the Ellesmere Poor Law Institution. The buildings were
demolished in the 1930s.
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