Glossary

1. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Glossary Poverty Not earning enough for food, clothing and housing. Outdoor Relief Poor people were given relief (from poverty) while they still lived in their own homes. Workhouse A place where poor people were given food and shelter in return for work. Master and Matron The people in charge of a workhouse, often husband and wife. Board of Guardians Local people elected to supervise the running of a workhouse. Less eligibility Conditions inside a Workhouse had to be worse than conditions for the lowest paid labourer outside. Living wage When workers are paid a wage that is sufficient to live in. Poor Rate Money collected from local property owners to support the poor. Monotonous Dull and boring.

2. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step One – The New Poor Law Critic I am against the New Poor Law because it has ended outdoor relief for poor people. This helped them because they could get money for short periods when they might be unemployed and they could still live in their own homes. There has been a lot of unemployment because of the growth of factories and changes to farming. Factory workers would not have any pay if there was no work at the factory. Farm labourers are being put out of work by machinery. On top of this the cost of bread is going up, so many poor people need help to feed their families. The New Poor Law says that the only way that the poor can get help is by going into a Workhouse. This has got to be a more expensive way of helping them!

3. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step One – The New Poor Law Supporter I am in favour of the New Poor Law because it will save money and encourage the poor to work harder. The new law will save money because the Workhouse will be “less eligible”. This means that the poor will be less likely to choose to go there, rather than to take the lowest paid job and to live at home. To do this, families will be broken up, inmates will have to wear a uniform and they will be put to work. The food they eat will be the cheapest and most basic and they will have their lives organised for them. Less eligibility means that the Workhouse will be worse than conditions for the lowest paid labourer outside its walls. This will stop those lazy idlers from scrounging money by asking for poor relief.

4. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step One – The New Poor Law Critic By ending outdoor relief the poor will be unfairly punished for their poverty. The real causes of their poverty is not laziness, but low wages, high food prices and under-employment. If the poor were paid a living-wage then they would not have to ask for help. No matter how hard a man works he still never earns enough to support his family. This has been made worse by the very high prices of bread. Sometimes the poor do not have regular work. When there is no work, factory workers are laid-off, but they will not be paid. Farm labourers have been put out of work by the new threshing machines. The poor cannot do anything about their low wages or their unemployment. The New Poor Law punishes them for their poverty. This can’t be right.

5. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step One – The New Poor Law Supporter I am in favour of the New Poor Law because it will encourage employers to pay a living wage and to help workers during periods of unemployment. The old system of poor relief made up a man’s wages so that he had enough money to feed his family. This encouraged employers to pay the worker less than a living-wage. It also meant that employers could lay workers off for short periods, without having to pay them. It also kept a lot of farm labourers in areas where there was not enough work for them. The New Poor Law means that the Poor will get back their self-respect, because it will force employers will have to pay a living wage and a man will be able to support his family without having to beg for charity.

6. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step One – The New Poor Law Critic The real causes of poverty are low wages, unemployment and rising food prices. Wages are particularly low in farming areas because there are more workers than jobs. Things have been made worse by the rocketing cost of food. This has been caused by a shortage caused by war and the population rise. You can’t solve the problem by treating the poor like criminals. Poverty is not a crime!

7. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step One – The New Poor Law Supporter The real causes of poverty might be low wages, unemployment and rising food prices, but the Workhouses will solve the problem. The poor are not being punished, they are being helped. By being put to work in the Workhouse they are being given back their self-respect. Less eligibility means that we will help those who really need it, not the scroungers. Employers will be forced to pay a living-wage, or all of their workers will end up in the Workhouse. They will also benefit from harder working employees. We have solved the problem by treating the scroungers like criminals. We will give back the honest labourer his self-respect.

8. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Two – Regulations Critic I think that the Workhouses are too harsh because inmates are forced to wear a special uniform and that there are a lot of rules that are designed to humiliate them. Paupers are given only bread and potatoes for two days for … (use extreme examples from the less serious offences) One of the punishments is to lock the inmates up for a day. An inmate can be locked up for … (use extreme examples from the most seriousoffences) These rules are far too strict. Paupers should not be punished for their poverty.

9. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Two – Regulations Critic I think that the Workhouses are too harsh because inmates are forced to wear a special uniform and that there are a lot of rules that are designed to humiliate them. Paupers are given only bread and potatoes for two days for making a noise during silence, using bad language, pretending to be sick, misbehaving during church and returning late after an outside visit. One of the punishments is to lock the inmates up for a day. An inmate can be locked up for causing a disturbance during prayers or disobeying the master or matron. These rules are far too strict. Paupers should not be punished for their poverty.

10. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Two – Regulations Supporter I think that the Workhouses are doing a very good job of treating people properly and encouraging good behaviour. As soon as a pauper is admitted … (explain about the medical inspections) Punishments are used to encourage good behaviour. An inmate can be locked up for … (use examples of the serious offences) One of the punishments is to lock the inmates up for a day. An inmate can be locked up for … (use examples of the most serious offences) . These rules have to be strict. Paupers should not be taught how to be responsible.

11. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Two – Regulations Supporter I think that the Workhouses are doing a very good job of treating people properly and encouraging good behaviour. As soon as a pauper is admitted … Punishments are used to encourage good behaviour. An inmate can be locked up for using bad language, not keeping clean, entering the wrong part of the Workhouse, refusing to work and disobeying an officer of the workhouse. One of the punishments is to lock the inmates up for a day. An inmate can be locked up for insulting the master or matron, disobeying the master or matron, damaging workhouse property and getting drunk. These rules have to be strict. Paupers should not be taught how to be responsible.

12. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Three – Reality: Gressenhall Workhouse Critic I think that the Workhouses are too harsh because inmates were treated badly. They had very long hours of work and very little free time, they were ounished harshly for minor offences, were fed on a monotonous and basic diet and were mistreated by the employees of the workhouse. For example, in Gressenhall Workhouse … (use some examples of mistreatment from pages 53 and 54) These rules are far too strict. Paupers should not be punished for their poverty.

13. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Three – Reality: Gressenhall Workhouse Critic I think that the Workhouses are too harsh because inmates were treated badly. They had very long hours of work and very little free time, they were punished harshly for minor offences, were fed on a monotonous and basic diet and were mistreated by the employees of the workhouse. For example, in Gressenhall Workhouse paupers rose at 5:45am and went to bed at 8pm. During this time they were expected to work for ten hours. Their food consisted of bread, gruel for breakfast; suet pudding, bread and cheese for dinner and bread and cheese for supper. Once a week they had meat and on three occasions they had vegetables. It is not surprising that John and Anne Craske were caught stealing bread! For this they were locked up for twenty four hours and fed on bread and water for the rest of the week. Thomas Butcher, the porter, had to be dismissed because There were complaints that he had sworn at the inmates.

14. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Three – Reality: Gressenhall Workhouse Supporter I think that the Workhouses treated people properly and encouraged good behaviour. For example, in Gressenhall Workhouse … (use some examples of proper treatment from pages 53 and 54) The rules are far fair. Paupers are being looked after and helped to find work.

15. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Three – Reality: Gressenhall Workhouse Supporter I think that the Workhouses treated people properly and encouraged good behaviour. For example, in Gressenhall Workhouse the paupers are taught the discipline of early rising and retiring to bed and the virtues of hard work. Theft is discouraged by firm, yet fair punishment. The paupers receive an adequate diet. The dismissal of Thomas Butcher shows that their complaints are acted upon. The excellent work of Mr and Mrs Pinson shows successful a well run workhouse can be. During their seven years as master and matron, they reduced expenditure, whilst showing great kindness to the inmates and finding jobs for over a hundred orphan children. In the workhouse school and excellent education was provided for over eighty boys, for the cost of a single schoolmaster. The rules are far fair. Paupers are being looked after and helped to find work.

16. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Four – Reactions Supporter The new workhouses have improved the morals of the poor. The public houses and beer shops are much quieter and there is not so much drunkenness. The poor rates have been greatly reduced and the old and sick are still cared for. The New Poor Law has saved huge sums of public money. People who could not be made to work have become good labourers. People are more willing to look for work than they were in 1834. The workhouse is held in great dread. The poor would rather die than go into the workhouse.

17. Pauper PalacesWhy did people disagree about the New Poor Law? Step Four – Reactions Critic Parents and children are dying in the workhouse without seeing each other. The separation of a man and wife are not what the good Lord intended. The New Poor Law treats poverty as a crime. The New Poor Law is cruel. It should be called the starvation law. Freedom, food and clothing are the right of every Englishman. In the north of England the New Poor Law is causing great distress. The mill workers are rioting and many workhouses have yet to be built. The workhouse is held in great dread. The poor would rather die than go into the workhouse.