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class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"><div class="cdx-message cdx-message--block cdx-message--warning mw-revision"><span class="cdx-message__icon"></span><div class="cdx-message__content"><div id="mw-revision-info-current"><p><b>This is the <a href="/wiki/Help:Page_history" title="Help:Page history">current revision</a> of this page, as edited by <span id="mw-revision-name"><a href="/wiki/User:Broccoli8989" class="mw-userlink" title="User:Broccoli8989" data-mw-revid="1248446337"><bdi>Broccoli8989</bdi></a> <span class="mw-usertoollinks">(<a href="/wiki/User_talk:Broccoli8989" class="mw-usertoollinks-talk" title="User talk:Broccoli8989">talk</a> | <a href="/wiki/Special:Contributions/Broccoli8989" class="mw-usertoollinks-contribs" 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The present address (URL) is a <a href="/wiki/Help:Permanent_link" title="Help:Permanent link">permanent link</a> to this version.</b></p><div id="revision-info-current-plain" style="display: none;">Revision as of 15:25, 29 September 2024 by <a href="/wiki/User:Broccoli8989" class="mw-userlink" title="User:Broccoli8989" data-mw-revid="1248446337"><bdi>Broccoli8989</bdi></a> <span class="mw-usertoollinks">(<a href="/wiki/User_talk:Broccoli8989" class="mw-usertoollinks-talk" title="User talk:Broccoli8989">talk</a> | <a href="/wiki/Special:Contributions/Broccoli8989" class="mw-usertoollinks-contribs" title="Special:Contributions/Broccoli8989">contribs</a>)</span> <span class="comment">(<span class="autocomment"><a href="#Vermont">→<bdi dir="ltr">Vermont</bdi></a></span>)</span></div></div><div id="mw-revision-nav">(<a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&diff=prev&oldid=1248446337" title="Overseer of the poor">diff</a>) <a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&direction=prev&oldid=1248446337" title="Overseer of the poor">← Previous revision</a> | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)</div></div></div></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">English official who administered poor relief</div> <p> An <b>overseer of the poor</b> was an official who administered <a href="/wiki/Poor_relief" title="Poor relief">poor relief</a> such as money, food, and clothing in <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a> and various other countries which derived their law from England, such as the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="England">England</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: England"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In England, overseers of the poor administered <a href="/wiki/Poor_relief" title="Poor relief">poor relief</a> such as money, food and clothing as part of the <a href="/wiki/Poor_Law" class="mw-redirect" title="Poor Law">Poor Law</a> system. The position was created by the <a href="/wiki/Poor_Relief_Act_1597" title="Poor Relief Act 1597">Poor Relief Act 1597</a>. </p><p>Overseers of the poor were often reluctant appointees who were unpaid, working under the supervision of a <a href="/wiki/Justice_of_the_peace" title="Justice of the peace">justice of the peace</a>. The law required two overseers to be elected every <a href="/wiki/Easter" title="Easter">Easter</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Churchwarden" title="Churchwarden">churchwardens</a> or <a href="/wiki/Landowner" class="mw-redirect" title="Landowner">landowners</a> were often selected. </p><p>The new system of poor relief reinforced a sense of social hierarchy and provided a way of controlling the 'lower orders'.<sup id="cite_ref-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Overseers of the poor were replaced in the <a href="/wiki/Poor_Law_Amendment_Act_1834" title="Poor Law Amendment Act 1834">Poor Law Amendment Act 1834</a>, and replaced with <a href="/wiki/Board_of_guardians" title="Board of guardians">boards of guardians</a>, although overseers remained in some places as a method of collecting the <a href="/wiki/Poor_rate" title="Poor rate">poor rate</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Duties">Duties</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Duties"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Overseers had four duties: </p> <ul><li>Estimate how much poor relief money was needed in order to set the poor rate accordingly;</li> <li>Collect the poor rate;</li> <li>Distribute poor relief; and</li> <li>Supervise the <a href="/wiki/Poorhouse" title="Poorhouse">poorhouse</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Vermont">Vermont</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Vermont"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the <a href="/wiki/U.S._state" title="U.S. state">U.S. state</a> of <a href="/wiki/Vermont" title="Vermont">Vermont</a>, the former post of overseer of the poor was an elected <a href="/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_Vermont" title="List of municipalities in Vermont">town office</a> responsible for welfare benefits. A 1797 law requires town overseers to "relieve, support and maintain" the "poor, lame, blind, sick and other inhabitants within such town or place, who are not able to maintain themselves."<sup id="cite_ref-Fields_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fields-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some records survive of relief recipients, along with amounts provided.<sup id="cite_ref-Fields_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fields-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Several towns maintained town farms (known as "poor farms") in which the poor lived and worked for their support (akin to the workhouses of England).<sup id="cite_ref-Fields_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fields-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some disabled Vermonters were sent to the <a href="/wiki/Brandon_State_School" title="Brandon State School">Brandon State School</a> instead.<sup id="cite_ref-Fields_3-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fields-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Effective October 1, 1968, Vermont abolished the post of overseer of the poor,<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and the state took over welfare.<sup id="cite_ref-Fields_3-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fields-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Poormaster" title="Poormaster">Poormaster</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plantations_in_the_American_South#Overseer" class="mw-redirect" title="Plantations in the American South">Overseer (slave plantation)</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseer_of_the_poor&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-The_1601_Elizabethan_Poor_Law_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation 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a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/elizpl.html">"The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law"</a>. <i>www.victorianweb.org</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.victorianweb.org&rft.atitle=The+1601+Elizabethan+Poor+Law&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.victorianweb.org%2Fhistory%2Fpoorlaw%2Felizpl.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOverseer+of+the+poor" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Rees, Rosemary, Poverty and Public Health, 1815–1948, p3, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-435-32715-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-435-32715-1">0-435-32715-1</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Fields-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Fields_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Fields_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Fields_3-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Fields_3-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Fields_3-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFFields2015" class="citation news cs1">Fields, Michelle (25 October 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151030044604/http://www.thevermontstandard.com/2015/10/ledger-reveals-hidden-poor-farm-history/">"Ledger Reveals Hidden Poor Farm History"</a>. <i>The Vermont Standard</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Vermont+Standard&rft.atitle=Ledger+Reveals+Hidden+Poor+Farm+History&rft.date=2015-10-25&rft.aulast=Fields&rft.aufirst=Michelle&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20151030044604%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.thevermontstandard.com%2F2015%2F10%2Fledger-reveals-hidden-poor-farm-history%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOverseer+of+the+poor" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/24/051/01652">24 V.S.A. § 1652</a></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist 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td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Poor_laws_of_the_British_Isles" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Poor_law" title="Template:Poor law"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Poor_law" title="Template talk:Poor law"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Poor_law" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Poor law"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Poor_laws_of_the_British_Isles" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Poor laws of the British Isles</div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Poor laws by territory</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/English_poor_laws" class="mw-redirect" title="English poor laws">England and Wales</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scottish_poor_laws" title="Scottish poor laws">Scotland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Irish_poor_laws" title="Irish poor laws">Ireland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_laws_of_the_Isle_of_Man" title="Poor laws of the Isle of Man">Isle of Man</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="7" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Nantwich workhouse"><img alt="Nantwich workhouse" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg/120px-Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="92" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg/180px-Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg/240px-Workhouse_Nantwich.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="924" /></a></span><br /><small>Nantwich workhouse</small></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Old Poor Law</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vagabonds_and_Beggars_Act_1494" title="Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494">Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tudor_poor_laws" title="Tudor poor laws">Tudor poor laws</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Relief_Act_1597" title="Poor Relief Act 1597">Poor Relief Act 1597</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Relief_Act_1601" title="Poor Relief Act 1601">Poor Relief Act 1601</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Relief_Act_1662" title="Poor Relief Act 1662">Poor Relief Act 1662</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relief_of_the_Poor_Act_1696" title="Relief of the Poor Act 1696">Relief of the Poor Act 1696</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Relief_Act_1722" title="Poor Relief Act 1722">Poor Relief Act 1722</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relief_of_the_Poor_Act_1782" title="Relief of the Poor Act 1782">Relief of the Poor Act 1782</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/House_of_correction" title="House of correction">House of correction</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Overseer of the poor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_rate" title="Poor rate">Poor rate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_relief" title="Poor relief">Poor relief</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Buttock_mail" title="Buttock mail">Buttock mail</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Relief systems</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Outdoor_relief" title="Outdoor relief">Outdoor relief</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Speenhamland_system" title="Speenhamland system">Speenhamland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Labour_Rate" title="Labour Rate">Labour Rate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roundsman_System" title="Roundsman System">Roundsman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Committee_for_the_Relief_of_the_Black_Poor" title="Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor">Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">New Poor Law</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Royal_Commission_into_the_Operation_of_the_Poor_Laws_1832" title="Royal Commission into the Operation of the Poor Laws 1832">Royal commission (1832)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Law_Amendment_Act_1834" title="Poor Law Amendment Act 1834">Poor Law Amendment Act 1834</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Law_(Scotland)_Act_1845" title="Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845">Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Less_eligibility" title="Less eligibility">Less eligibility</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Workhouse" title="Workhouse">Workhouse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Workhouse_test" title="Workhouse test">Workhouse test</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Board_of_guardians" title="Board of guardians">Board of guardians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outdoor_Labour_Test_Order" title="Outdoor Labour Test Order">Outdoor Labour Test Order</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outdoor_Relief_Prohibitory_Order" title="Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order">Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_law_union" title="Poor law union">Poor law unions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Opposition_to_the_English_Poor_Laws" class="mw-redirect" title="Opposition to the English Poor Laws">Opposition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Book_of_Murder" title="Book of Murder">Book of Murder</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scottish_poorhouse" title="Scottish poorhouse">Scottish poorhouse</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Poor_Law_policy_after_the_New_Poor_Law" title="Poor Law policy after the New Poor Law">Changes after 1834</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Law_Commission" title="Poor Law Commission">Poor Law Commission</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Law_Board" title="Poor Law Board">Poor Law Board</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Local_Government_Board" title="Local Government Board">Local Government Board</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Andover_workhouse_scandal" title="Andover workhouse scandal">Andover workhouse scandal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Huddersfield_workhouse_scandal" title="Huddersfield workhouse scandal">Huddersfield workhouse scandal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Union_Chargeability_Act_1865" title="Union Chargeability Act 1865">Union Chargeability Act</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Decline_and_abolition_of_the_poor_law_system" title="Decline and abolition of the poor law system">Decline and abolition</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Liberal_welfare_reforms" title="Liberal welfare reforms">Liberal welfare reforms</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Royal_Commission_on_the_Poor_Laws_and_Relief_of_Distress_1905%E2%80%931909" title="Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905–1909">Royal Commission (1905–09)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Majority_report_(Poor_Law)" title="Majority report (Poor Law)">Majority Report</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minority_report_(Poor_Law)" title="Minority report (Poor Law)">Minority Report</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interwar_unemployment_and_poverty_in_the_United_Kingdom" title="Interwar unemployment and poverty in the United Kingdom">Interwar poverty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Assistance_Act_1948" title="National Assistance Act 1948">National Assistance Act 1948</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Christmas_Day_in_the_Workhouse" title="Christmas Day in the Workhouse">Christmas Day in the Workhouse</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Historiography_of_the_Poor_Laws" title="Historiography of the Poor Laws">Historiography of the Poor Laws</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_the_English_Poor_Law_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Timeline of the English Poor Law system">Timeline of the English Poor Law system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Relief_Act" title="Poor Relief Act">Poor Relief Act</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_poor_law_unions_in_England" title="List of poor law unions in England">List of poor law unions in England</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_poor_law_unions_in_Wales" title="List of poor law unions in Wales">List of poor law unions in Wales</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Irish_poor_law_unions" title="List of Irish poor law unions">List of Irish poor law unions</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><br /> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1012311289">.mw-parser-output .asbox{position:relative;overflow:hidden}.mw-parser-output .asbox table{background:transparent}.mw-parser-output .asbox p{margin:0}.mw-parser-output .asbox p+p{margin-top:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .asbox-body{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output .asbox-note{font-size:smaller}.mw-parser-output .asbox .navbar{position:absolute;top:-0.75em;right:1em;display:none}</style><div role="note" class="metadata plainlinks asbox stub"><table role="presentation"><tbody><tr class="noresize"><td><span style="vertical-align:middle; background:transparent; color:inherit"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Flag of United Kingdom" 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