Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Acte for erecting of Hospitalles or abiding and working Howses for the Poore. |
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| Citation | 39 Eliz. 1. c. 5 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Hospitals Act 1623 |
| Repealed by | Charities Act 1960 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Hospitals Act 1623 | |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for the reviving and making perpetual of one act made in the nine and thirtieth year of the late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, "An Act for erecting of hospitals, and abiding and working houses for the poor." |
| Citation | 21 Ja. 1. c. 1 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597 |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1948 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597 was an important law in England. It was passed by the Parliament of England during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. This law made it easier to create places where poor people and injured soldiers could live and get help.
Contents
What Was This Law About?
Before this law, it was hard to set up a hospital. You usually needed special permission from the Queen. This made it difficult for people who wanted to help others.
Helping the Poor and Injured
A law from 1592 had tried to help. It allowed people to leave land or buildings in their will. These could be used for "houses of correction" or "abiding-houses." These were places for poor people or soldiers who were hurt.
But this earlier law didn't work very well. It was still hard to legally start a new hospital.
Making Hospitals Permanent
So, the 1597 Act was created. It changed things a lot. Now, anyone who wanted to start a charity or hospital could do so. They just needed to make a legal document. This document was registered at the High Court of Chancery.
Once registered, these new hospitals would be permanent. This meant they would last a long time. However, there was one rule. The person starting the hospital needed to provide enough money. This money had to create an income of at least £10 each year. This was a good amount of money back then.
The 1623 Update
The 1597 Act was first planned to last for 20 years. But it was so helpful that another law was passed. This was the Hospitals Act 1623. This new law made the 1597 Act permanent. It meant the rules for setting up hospitals would continue forever.
When the Law Changed Again
The Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597 stayed in force for a very long time. It helped many people over the centuries. However, in 1960, a new law was created. This was the Charities Act 1960. This new Act replaced the old 1597 law. It updated how charities and hospitals were set up and managed in England.
