SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



the parish officers of Great Wymondley could still certify in 1687 that the 

 parish had provided for all its own poor for the last thirty years.*" The 

 increase of population inevitably led to increase of pauperism. Complaints 

 of the heavy rate had been made in 1741."' The first record of the cost to 

 the county is the average for three years ending 1750; the sum was 



By 1776 it increased to ^^25,241.*° After 1782 the rise was more 

 rapid. By 1785 the amount was jCSS'S''^-™ The rate was highest in the 

 towns and along the great road, where the expense of passing vagrants was 

 heavy. At Chipping Barnet it was 2s. to 2j. 6d. in the pound about i ygy.''^ 

 Redbourn showed the effects of the Act. From 1773 to 1777 the rate 

 varied between is. ^d. and is. iid. From 1783-9 it was never below 2j. 

 and reached zs. 3^. in 1791.'''' 



In 1783 the three years' average was ^56,380 and in 1815 ^^88,952, 

 although the population was only 115,400 in 18 11.''* The rise went on: 

 ^91,164 in 18 1 8, jC99'934 i" 1821. The actual annual amount spent was 

 highest in 18 18, when it was j^ 10 1,1 46.''* By 1821 it had sunk to 

 j^98,ooo." Only twelve of the forty counties paid less." Compared with 

 some districts, the rate was ' not very high,' although it had admittedly 

 increased about one-third within five years." The officers of St. Albans tried 

 to assess personal property, but this had to be given up. When men were 

 rated who could not pay the justices simply told their officers not to insist.''* 

 Some of the rural parishes abandoned the Speenhamland system long 

 before 1834. At Hatfield the rate had been about 6s. to 8j. about 18 19. 

 The growth of unemployment was so alarming that in 1 8 1 9 the workhouse 

 test was rigorously applied. Allowances according to the number of 

 children were forbidden and out-relief was only given in food or necessaries. 

 The saving in the ten years from 1821 over the previous ten years was 

 ^14,000. It was no wonder that neighbouring parishes adopted the same 

 regulations, even when they had to build a workhouse, as at Welwyn.''* 



After 1834 the expense dropped to nearly half. In 1842 the total 

 was ^53,494 for a population of 176,173.*" By 1847—8 there was a rise, 

 perhaps on account of agricultural depression, to >C99'5^3-" I" ^^^ 

 following years the rate sank rapidly; between 1850 and 1851 there was 

 a decrease of 8'6 per cent,,*^ and these figures meant a decrease in 

 pauperism as well as an increase of economy. The rate was sinking in 

 i860,*' but in the next decade it rose quickly. The year 1868 had an 

 increase of 8*2 per cent, over 1867, and the expenditure was j^i 16,789.** 

 The increase was maintained up to 1879.*" 



The methods of relief were various. In 1623 the justices provided 

 corn in every parish to be sold at half-price to the poor,*" a kind of out- 

 s' Sess. R. (Herts. Co. Rec), i, 370. «' Ibid, ii, 78. 

 88 Poor Law Rep. (1822), 24-5. «« Ibid. 'o jtid. 

 '1 Sir F. M. Eden, &tate of Poor, ii, 271 et seq. '^ Ibid. 275 et seq. 

 " Poor Law Rep. (1822), 24-5. '* Ibid. 20-1. " Ibid. 8. ^e ijjjj 

 "Ibid. (1 8 18), 87 et seq. '8 ibid. '» Ibid. (18 31), 266-70. 

 ^^ Accts. and Papers, 1844 (42), xl, 123. *i Ibid. 1849 (1024), xxv, 36. 

 82 Ibid. 1 85 1 (1461), xxiii, 84. 83 ibid, i860 (2675), xxiii, 54-8. 

 8* Ibid. 1868-9 (+'97)> xxviii, 60, 246. 85 i^id. 1878-9 (2372), xxviii, 198. 



88 Cal. S. P. Dom. 1619-22, p. 540. 



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