Scottish Poor Laws facts for kids
The Scottish Poor Laws were rules and laws about helping people in need in Scotland. These laws were in place for a long time, from 1579 until 1929. Scotland had its own special system for helping the poor. It was very different from the laws used in England and Wales.
Back in 1579, the Scottish Parliament made a law. This law said that each local area, called a parish, had to find out who among its people needed help. They didn't just count them. They had to really check why people were poor. They wanted to know if people could work. They also checked if people had other ways to get by. And they looked to see if family or friends could help them. These early laws made it clear that poor people should get help. But they also tried to stop begging and people wandering around without a home.
In 1595, a local tax called Buttock Mail started. This money was used to help the poor. More laws came in 1597. These laws made the local parishes, not the church, in charge of giving out help. By 1672, local leaders were told to build "correction houses" or workhouses. These places were for beggars to work. In most parts of Scotland, there was no regular "Poor Rate" (a local property tax for the poor) under the old system.
In 1843, a special group was set up. They were called the Commission of Enquiry. Their job was to suggest ways to make the Scottish Poor Law system better. Some of their ideas included:
- Starting new groups called a Board of Supervision and Parochial Boards.
- Collecting a regular "poor rate" tax.
- Building shared poorhouses in cities.
- Having an Inspector of the Poor. This person would check requests for help.
The Scottish Poor Law Act of 1845
After Scotland joined with England to form Great Britain, Scotland kept its own legal system. This meant the new English Poor Law changes did not apply to Scotland. Just like in England, Scotland needed to update its old laws for the poor. So, the Commission of Inquiry was formed in 1843 to find ways to improve the system.
This work led to the Scottish Poor Law Act of 1845. This new law created local boards, called parochial boards, in towns and parishes. It also set up a main Board of Supervision in Edinburgh. This central board watched over the whole system.
In Scotland, people who were able to work but had no job did not automatically get help. This was different from England. The 1845 Act allowed the central Board of Supervision to raise local taxes. These taxes paid for the help given to the poor. A big difference was that in Scotland, a pauper (someone very poor) had a legal right to appeal. This meant they could challenge a decision if they were refused help.
At first, giving help to people in their own homes, called Outdoor relief, was common. But the system was not always managed well. After 1868, the system became stricter. It started to rely more on poorhouses. These were places where poor people could live and work.
Finding Records of the Poor Laws
The Mitchell Library in Glasgow has a huge collection of old records. These records are called the Archives and Special Collections. They hold over 1,000,000 applications for poor relief. These applications were made by people living in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.
These old records are very helpful for people researching their family history. They often have detailed notes and information. You can find out about the people who applied, their families, and what their lives were like.
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