The English Poor Laws 1700-1930

The English Poor Laws 1700-1930 examines the nature and operation of the English poor law system from the early eighteenth century to its termination in 1930. The book traces the law's development from a localised measure of poor relief designed primarily for rural communities to an increasingly centralised system attempting to grapple with the urgent crises of urban poverty. The deterrent work house, medical care, education, assisted emigration, family maintenance, vagrancy and the relationship of the poor laws to private charity are some of the topics covered.