What were the
pressures for a
change in the
poor law?
1. Understand the reasons why
the Commission of enquiry
into the running of the poor
law was set up in 1832
2. Complete a summary
diagram on the attack on the
old poor law
The influence of political and
economic theorists
By the early 1830s, many ideas were being put forward about how to improve the poor law
system. Evangelicalism, Humanitarianism and Laissez Faire attitudes began to infiltrate society.
The following political and economic theorists undoubtedly influenced the MP’s that passed the
Poor Law Amendment Act in 1834...
David Ricardo
Both feared the effect
of the old poor law on
society and wanted to
abolish it completely
Thomas Malthus
Tom Paine
Wanted to tax the rich more in
order to provide more support
systems for the poor including
pensions. He also criticised the
able-bodied poor and encouraged
the use of workhouses for such
paupers
The influence of political and
economic theorists
Blamed the capitalist system for creating
poverty. Believed workers should share the
profits of the organisation they worked for
(harder work = more profits). This would
remove the need for poor relief
Robert Owen
Came up with the theory of Utilitarianism:
• ‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’
• ‘Pleasure / pain principle’
• Strong central authority
Jeremy Bentham and his
disciple, Edwin Chadwick
Both pushed strongly for the abolition of outdoor relief
and the introduction of a nationwide workhouse
system. Chadwick was part of the commission of
enquiry that analysed the poor law in 1832. Their
ideas were accepted by the government and were
the main influence on the Poor Law Amendment Act
in 1834
The Growing cost of poor relief
The cost of looking after the poor had increased dramatically during the 18th and
early 19th century. This was due to a number of factors including a rising population
and the negative affects of industrialisation. A rise in the cost of poor relief affected
all rate payers i.e. the majority of the population. Many historians have suggested
that this is the main reason why the poor law was changed in 1834.
Variations in the poor law system
The old poor law was organised by individual parishes leading to
many variations in the practice of looking after the poor and a
decrease in efficiency
Corruption in the administration of
poor relief
Each parish elected overseers to collect the poor rate and
administer poor relief. This system was seen by many as
being easily corruptible with some overseers keeping some
of the money for themselves. Bentham was a harsh critic
and argued that the poor law should be organised on a
national level with regular inspections.
Poor Harvests and post-war distress
Britain had been at war with Napoleonic France from 1803-1815
At the peak expansion in 1811,
France directly or indirectly
controlled most of Western Europe.
This greatly disrupted trade and
increased the numbers of paupers
in Britain.
In 1815, after Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of
Waterloo, thousands of British army and navy
personnel returned home. Very few were able to
find work, increasing the strain on the poor law
system still further.
Poor Harvests and post-war distress
Poor harvest also directly affected the number of people seeking poor relief. There is a
clear link between poor harvest and outbreaks of discontent...
YEAR
STATE OF THE HARVEST
INCIDENCE OF RIOT
1812
poor
Machine breaking by Luddites (handloom weavers)
31 committals for arson (including rick burning)
1817
poor
March of the Blanketeers from Manchester to London
1819
poor
Political disturbances in Manchester (Peterloo Massacre)
Rise in crime in 14 agricultural counties
1831
poor
102 committals for arson
Parliamentary reform riots in Bristol, Nottingham and Derby
The problem of poor harvests was undoubtedly made worse by the introduction of the
Corn Laws in 1815. The new law set the price of British corn to an artificially high level to
remove the threat of importing cheap foreign corn. The price of bread rose dramatically.
The Corn Laws were hated by the working class and we seen as protecting the rich
landowners at the expense of increasing famine amongst the working class.
The Swing Riots and Rural unrest
(1820s and early 1830s)
The Swing Riots were a widespread uprising by the rural workers of the
arable south and east of England in 1830. The rioters, largely impoverished
and landless agricultural labourers, sought to halt reductions in their wages
and to put a stop to the introduction of the new threshing machines that
threatened their livelihoods. They reinforced their demands not only with
riots in which objects of perceived oppression such as workhouses and tithe
barns were destroyed, but through rick burning, the destruction of threshing
machines and cattle-maiming. The first threshing machine was destroyed on
Saturday night, August 28th, 1830. By the third week of October, over one
hundred threshing machines had been destroyed in East Kent. The
government, mostly made up of landed gentry, were very concerned with
these pauper led attacks.
Urban discontent and radical protests
(1820s and 1830s)
Urban discontent, riots and demonstrations were a
key feature of the early 19th century. In many cities,
unemployed handloom weavers (Luddites) took
action by smashing machines and attacking factory
owners. The attacks piled pressure on the
government to seek a more adequate solution to
the growing number of poor.
Urban discontent and radical protests
(1820s and 1830s)
The Luddite attacks were not the only form of radical urban protest in the early 19th century.
Many urban protests emerged due to political grievances. At this time:
• only rich property owners and landowners had the right to vote
• MP’s were not paid
• there was no secret ballot
• in ‘rotten boroughs’ an MP could be voted into parliament with as few as 10 votes
• during election campaigns the use of bribery, corruption and violence were widespread
There was a growing call for a reform in the electoral system by the middle class and the working class.
We deserve the vote because
following the growth of
industry we make the most
money for Britain!
Middle class
factory owner
We demand a vote so that
our living and working
conditions improve! The
Corn Laws must be removed!
Working class
factory worker
Urban discontent and radical protests
(1820s and 1830s)
Urban protests were a common occurrence ...
1819 – The Peterloo Massacre
The Manchester Patriotic Union, a group agitating for parliamentary
reform, organised a demonstration of 80,000 people to be
addressed by the well-known radical orator Henry Hunt.
Shortly after the meeting began, local magistrates called on the
military authorities (no effective police force existed at the time) to
arrest Hunt and several others on the hustings with him, and to
disperse the crowd. Cavalry charged into the crowd with sabres
drawn, and in the ensuing confusion, 15 people were killed and
400–700 were injured. The massacre was given the name Peterloo
in ironic comparison to the Battle of Waterloo, which had taken
place four years earlier.
1831 Bristol Riots
500 or 600 young men demanding the vote rioted and
continued for three days, during which the palace of the Bishop
of Bristol, the mansion of the Lord Mayor of Bristol, and private
homes and property were looted and destroyed, along with
demolition of much of the gaol.
Urban discontent and radical protests
(1820s and 1830s)
The Tory government responded forcefully to the growing discontent:
• Habeus Corpus was suspended in 1817 which meant that people could
be imprisoned without trial
• The Six Acts prohibited meetings of more than 50 people, forbade
military training by civilians, and made the publication of seditious
material illegal
• Local magistrates, and in some cases the army, were used to attack
demonstrators.
We will always strive to resist any change to the
electoral system. The system is perfect!
Lord Liverpool
Tory leader
The 1830 French Revolution and fear
of revolution in Britain
In July 1830, the French forced the
abdication of their King, Charles X.
Following the urban and rural discontent in
Britain, the British government were
scared that the revolution would spread
from France. Many MP’s began to believe
that a change in both the voting system
and the poor law was needed in order to
avoid revolution at home.
The new Whig Government (1831)
Following the death of George IV in 1831 a general election was held. The Whigs
were voted into power and replaced the Tories for the first time since 1807.
The Whigs were much more reforming in their attitude...
DATE
REFORM
EFFECT
1832
Electoral Reform Act
Reorganised parliamentary constituencies and
extended the vote to the middle class.
1833
£20,000 Education Grant
First time parliament spent money on school
building.
1833
Emancipation Act
Abolished slavery in the British Empire.
1833
Factory Act
Limited the numbers of hours that children
could work in factories.
1834
Poor Law Amendment Act
Established the new poor law. Outdoor relief
abolished and workhouse system introduced.
Some historians have suggested that the Whigs’ reforming agenda was aimed at
gaining support from the middle class that had been enfranchised in 1832. By
reducing the cost of poor relief, the Poor Law Amendment Act can certainly be seen
from this perspective.