Relief of the Poor Act 1696 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for supplying some Defects in the Laws for the Relief of the Poor of this Kingdom. |
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| Citation | 8 & 9 Will. 3. c. 30 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 April 1697 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Poor Act 1697 |
| Repealed by | Poor Law Act 1927 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for explaining an Act made the last Session of Parliament, entituled, "An Act for supplying some Defects in the Laws for the Relief of the Poor of this Kingdome." |
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| Citation | 9 Will. 3. c. 11 (Ruffhead: 9 & 10 Will. 3. c. 11) |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 April 1698 |
| Repealed | 15 July 1867 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Relief of the Poor Act 1696 |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1867 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Relief of the Poor Act 1696 was a law passed in England in 1697. Its main goal was to improve how poor people received help. This law built upon an older one from 1601, known as the Elizabethan Poor Act. One of the most famous parts of this 1696 Act was a new rule. It made people who received help wear a special badge to show their status.
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Badging the Poor: What Was It?
This law said that everyone receiving help, including wives and children, had to wear a badge. This badge was worn clearly on their right shoulder. The badge had the first letter of their local area (parish) and then the letter "P". For example, someone from Ampthill parish would wear a badge that said "AP".
This practice was also seen in early Colonial America. However, the badges there sometimes looked different. In New York, a badge might say "N.Y.". In Virginia, it might have the full parish name. Sometimes, it just said "P.P." for "public pauper." A similar law also existed in Pennsylvania.
This badging was different from older "beggar's badges." Those were used before the Elizabethan Poor Act. For example, the Poor Act 1555 allowed for these earlier badges.
Why Were Badges Used?
An earlier law from 1691 made officials (called "overseers of the poor") record the names of everyone getting help. This was to stop officials from misusing money. The 1697 Act added the badge rule for the same reason. It was meant to make sure only those truly in need received help.
If a person receiving help did not wear their badge, they could be whipped or put in prison. Officials who gave help to people without badges could be fined 20 shillings.
When Did Badging Stop?
The badging rule changed over time. The Relief of the Poor Act 1782 allowed "paupers of good character" to not wear the badge. By the late 1700s, many people were not following the rule. The practice officially ended in 1810.
Some people believed the badge helped prevent a "welfare trap." This is a situation where people might prefer receiving benefits over working. A report to the House of Commons of England even suggested bringing the badge back. They thought it would stop people from unfairly asking for help. They felt that poor people should know the public was watching to prevent fraud.
However, not everyone agreed. Joseph Townsend strongly criticized the badging practice. He called it a "badge of shame." He argued that it embarrassed honest poor people. He also noted that many officials ignored the badge rule. Townsend believed that truly dishonest people would not care about wearing the badge. But modest poor people "would sooner die than wear it."
Year's Service Rule: Where Could You Get Help?
The poor relief system also had rules about which local area (parish) was responsible for helping someone. This was called "settlement." An older law, the Poor Relief Act 1662, said that a parish could send away poor people. This happened if they could not afford to rent a place for at least £10 a year within 40 days of arriving. These people would be sent back to their birth parish or where they had lived for the past three years.
The 1697 Act added a new rule. If a worker stayed "in the same service" (meaning working for the same employer) for one year, they gained the right to settle in that parish. This meant they could not be sent away if they later needed help.
Examples of the Rule
Courts had to decide what "same service" meant. For example, in a case called R v Ulverstone, a woman worked for 365 days. Her contract was for a bit longer, but she was let go after exactly one year. The court decided that because she had served a full year, she had the right to settle in that parish.
Another case, R v Overton, looked at what happened if the job changed slightly. A servant worked for one period, then was hired again for a full year. He left before the second contract ended, but after more than a year since he first started working. The court said that the two work periods could be combined. This meant the servant had settlement rights under the Poor Law.
See also
- Poor relief
- Poverty in the United Kingdom
- Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
- Badge of shame
