The Poor Law

It was the smaller farmer and laborers who suffered from their inability to pay their share of increased taxes. Some lost their property. As a result, after the first decade of the nineteenth century, reforms to the Poor Law were instituted. Changes included providing additional support to the older citizens and the sick. As a consequence, these individuals were not required to enter a workhouse.

Consistent Income Not Guaranteed

The challenge for the laborer was that consistent income was never guaranteed. Many unskilled laborers were dependent on seasonal work. Due to the vacillating rents, several families would share a single dwelling. In this way, the rent could be shared between the families.

With these difficult financial and living situations, the common laborer could not afford to save funds for a rainy day. Some laborers would often find themselves in debt.  The ultimate worst place to be was the workhouse.

The Workhouse

In 1834, the Poor Law Amendment Act was set to separate the individuals who could not support themselves and those who had fallen into difficult financial difficulty. The latter were not given "outdoor relief" and were thus forced to live in the workhouses.  Essentially, the workhouse was the alternative to literally living on the street.

The living conditions of the workhouses were deplorable. Husbands and wives could not live in the same room. Food consisted of broth, dry bread, potatoes and gruel. Those who lived within the workhouses could not receive visitors without obtaining permission from the workhouse overlords.

Return to Regency

Return to Romantic Tales