This Act enabled a parish to send anyone who was liable to be a charge on the Poor Rate back to the parish of which she or he was native. Intended to restore rural order in the wake of the upheavals of 1642-1660, it was to have long term significance in times of rural poverty, notably in the 1790s: those who were without work and not born in a parish could be arrested and forcibly removed to the parish of their birth.
For further information please see our general overview of the Poor Law.
For further information please see our general overview of the Poor Law.
94 words
Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Act of Settlement of the Poor". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 May 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1470, accessed 19 March 2024.]