Poverty and Pauperism 2

Question 1

What did Gilbert’s Act of 1782 do?

Answer 1

Grouping together of parishes into unions to provide a poor house for physically unfit people rather than able-bodied poor people.

Question 2

Give 3 requirements of the Poor Law Amendment Act.

Answer 2

Poor Law Commission set up, ‘less eligibility’ rule, grouping of parishes together, workhouses, ending of outdoor relief

Question 3

What replaced the Poor Law Commission in 1847?

Answer 3

The Poor Law Board

Question 4

What does the term ‘less eligibility’ mean?

Answer 4

Makng the conditions in workhouses so harsh than only the truly desperate would enter/apply to go into a workhouse - putting the emphasis on work rather than relying on the state for help.

Question 5

What did Jeremy Bentham found?

Answer 5

Utilitarianism

Question 6

What is Jeremy Bentham’s theory?

Answer 6

Utilitarianism is the belief that human’s are motivated by pleasure and pain and that government action should be based on what provided the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.

Question 7

Give 2 reasons why important parts of the Poor Law Amendment Act were not implemented sucessfully.

Answer 7

North/south divide, industrial v agricultural areas and the differing needs in those areas, opposition to the law, continuance of ‘outdoor relief’, same overseers continued, lack of uniform picture, lack of weight behind the new Commission, division within the Commission.

Question 8

What book did Charles Dickens write about the despair and drudgery of the workhouse for children?

Answer 8

Oliver Twist

Question 9

Why did Dicken’s book have a big impact on the public? Give 2 reasons.

Answer 9

Because it was serialised in a newspaper making it cheaper to buy, read by more people and tapped into a growing concern amongst the public

Question 10

What is philanthropy?

Answer 10

General concern for the welfare of others through charity or donations to help people

Question 11

When did the Andover Workhouse Scandal happen?

Answer 11

1845

Question 12

What was the Andover Workhouse Scandal? Give 2 points.

Answer 12

Harsh regime, treated more like prisoners, eating rotten bones, abuse of women inmates, eating with fingers, long working day, starving.

Question 13

Why did the Andover Workhouse scandal come to light?

Answer 13

Concerns raised by local poor law guardian to MP and home secretary, role of newspaper reports by the Times.

Question 14

What impact did the Andover Scandal have?

Answer 14

The Poor Law Commission was dissolved and replaced by a Poor Law Board in 1847

Question 15

How many workhouses were built between the years 1834 and 1851?

Answer 15

402

Question 16

How many workhouses were built between the years 1851 and 1866?

Answer 16

100