Partial agreement
Posted by Caroline on April 26, 1998 at 12:38:54:
In response to Speenhamland System, written by John W on April 26, 1998 at 04:00:35
] The general poor relief of the parish was a separate matter to the Speenhamland System. This was a particularly vicious innovation by which the wages of labourers not considered to have an adequate living were made up from the poor rates.
True, it was disastrous as a method of welfare, though it was never intended to be more than a stop-gap measure. And you are right in that parish relief was available long before it was implemented, and that there were large areas of Britain where the Speenhamland system was not used.(It was, I think, prevalent in Surrey, so probably Highbury had it!)However, was it not specifically adapted in places(not necessarily everywhere) to include provision for itinerants like war wives and widows, passing through parishes, so they could collect their penny-ha'pennies, as Jason has said?
Perhaps I 'm just confused on this point.
Do you agreee with my main point, John, that 'parish relief' was not a church matter, but a civil one? If not, I'll have to re-think a bit...
- The Parish John W 02:28:59 4/27/98
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