{"id":19783,"date":"2022-10-31T17:41:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T17:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/?p=19783"},"modified":"2024-01-26T22:22:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T22:22:41","slug":"poor-law-the-famine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/","title":{"rendered":"Poor Law &#038; the Famine"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/#The_Famine\" title=\"The Famine\">The Famine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/#Amending_Legislation\" title=\"Amending Legislation\">Amending Legislation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/#Outdoor_Relief_I\" title=\"Outdoor Relief I\">Outdoor Relief I<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/#Outdoor_Relief_II\" title=\"Outdoor Relief II\">Outdoor Relief II<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/#Rates\" title=\"Rates\">Rates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/poor-law-the-famine\/#Emigration_Assistance\" title=\"Emigration Assistance\">Emigration Assistance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Famine\"><\/span>The Famine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The famine affected all parts of the country, but the south and west were particularly badly affected.\u00a0 The majority of the population depended on the potato.<\/p>\n<p>When the potato blight first appeared, public works were established to provide employment and the addition of food supplies was imported. \u00a0Relief committees were established under the Central Temporary Relief Commission in 1845.<\/p>\n<p>The poor law guardians were instructed to provide against fever outbreaks by providing suitable building, separate from the workhouse that might be useful as a fever hospital.<\/p>\n<p>Admissions to workhouse increased rapidly in early 1847.\u00a0 The workhouses had rapidly became full. \u00a0Conditions deteriorated beyond those pertaining already.\u00a0 Contagious diseases spread.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Amending_Legislation\"><\/span>Amending Legislation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In \u00a01846, temporary legislatiion created local boards of health and \u00a0a central supervisory body with five commissioners and two medical officers.\u00a0 A further act was passed in 1847 allowing for the \u00a0erection of fever hospitals where they were lacking.<\/p>\n<p>The Poor Law Administration Act 1847 created a separate Poor Law Commission for Ireland.\u00a0 It comprised a chief commissioner and inspector together with the chief secretary and the \u00a0undersecretary.\u00a0 This was designed to give input to the central Irish government to ensure more effective coordination of the local government.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outdoor_Relief_I\"><\/span>Outdoor Relief I<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Contrary to the existing poor law regulations, boards of guardians \u00a0commenced providing food relief outside of workhouses.\u00a0 The Poor Law Commissioners were opposed to allowing outdoor relief, which contravened the 1838 legislation.<\/p>\n<p>The Poor Law Commissioners authorised additional accommodation if a workhouse remained full.\u00a0 Temporary accommodation by way of sheds \u00a0were provided on the ground of workhouses together with renting of available buildings in the locality<\/p>\n<p>The Whig government which replaced Peel\u2019s Conservative government in 1846 decided to make the poor law system responsible for both ordinary relief and famine relief.\u00a0 It sought to minimise the contribution from central government and to ensure that the relief was provided and paid for locally.<\/p>\n<p>During the changeover from public works to poor relief a nationwide system of soup kitchens its was established under a temporary relief act in \u00a01847, using poor law personnel and officials. Responsibility for distribution of food lay with committees made up of Poor Law Commissioners, clergymen, ratepayers, magistrates and relief inspectors.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outdoor_Relief_II\"><\/span>Outdoor Relief II<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Poor Law Extension Act 1847 allow boards of guardians to give outdoor relief to anyone unable to work due to age disability, ill health, orphans and widows with two or more legitimate children. Able bodied poor were to receive relief in the workhouse only unless it was impossible in the circumstances due to it being full \u00a0or \u00a0for reasons of infection. The right to relief existed only for those limited categories who qualified for outdoor relief.<\/p>\n<p>An order of the Poor Law Commissioners was required to allow outdoor \u00a0relief to the able body. probably to the able-bodied. By the end of 1847, outdoor relief was extended for over half of the Poor Law Unions in Ireland.\u00a0 The extension might be limited, for example, to certain categories of persons.<\/p>\n<p>By 1848, half a million able-bodied persons were receiving outdoor relief.\u00a0 This number increased further to over a million.\u00a0 Workhouse places rose to over 300,000 by 1851.\u00a0 The total number of Unions \u00a0was increased to 163.<\/p>\n<p>Conditions were imposed on the receipt of relief to safeguard against fraud.\u00a0 Able-bodied recipients were subject to a labour test.\u00a0 Certain smallholders were dissuaded from applying by having to abandon their holding. In 1848, the regulations were relaxed so that the family of landholders were not might be granted relief<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rates\"><\/span>Rates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>By 1848, the famine had ended in certain areas but in other unions, categorised as distressed unions, it continued . Many Unions could not collect enough rates and government grants were given for the relief of distress.<\/p>\n<p>A number of boards were dissolved and put on direct administration of the Commissioners.\u00a0 Paid vice guardians replaced them to run the Union.<\/p>\n<p>Any national rate in \u00a0aid was levied to repay loans made.\u00a0 This represented the first acknowledgment that relief of poverty could be a national issue (within Ireland, but not the United Kingdom).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emigration_Assistance\"><\/span>Emigration Assistance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Under the 1838 Act, Boards of Guardians could assist persons who has spent three months in the workhouse to emigrate.\u00a0 The 1847 Act extended assisted immigration to all paupers \u00a0including those receiving outside relief.<\/p>\n<p>The 1849 Act allowed guardians to apply to the Commissioner to borrow money to assist \u00a0persons in the workhouse for at least a year to emigrate.\u00a0 The number assisted were relatively small.<\/p>\n<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-19783\" data-postid=\"19783\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-19783 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Famine The famine affected all parts of the country, but the south and west were particularly badly affected.\u00a0 The majority of the population depended on the potato. When the potato blight first appeared, public works were established to provide employment and the addition of food supplies was imported. \u00a0Relief committees were established under the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,285],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19783"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19783"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31052,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19783\/revisions\/31052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}