Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Britain, c1785–c1870: democracy, protest and reform - 4 Poverty and…
Full specification wording
Paper 1, Option 1D: Britain, c1785–c1870: democracy, protest and reform - 4 Poverty and pauperism, c1785–c1870: The old Poor Law and pressure for change: the implementation and effectiveness of poor relief before 1834, attitudes towards the poor and the influence of utilitarianism; financial and ideological pressures for change.
Before 1834 poor relief was administered by about 15,000 parishes under the Elizabethan framework, with outdoor relief in money or kind and indoor relief in workhouses.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 3
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Before 1834 poor relief was administered by about 15,000 parishes under the Elizabethan framework, with outdoor relief in money or kind and indoor relief in workhouses. Implementation varied enormously: some parishes gave generous allowances, notably the Speenhamland system from 1795, which topped up wages according to bread prices and family size. Effectiveness is debated: it relieved acute distress but critics claimed it subsidised low wages, weakened incentives and burdened ratepayers. Attitudes ranged from Christian charity to suspicion of the 'undeserving' poor. Utilitarian ideas, especially Bentham's greatest happiness principle and Malthusian fears about population, pushed for deterrence. Financial pressure from rising rates, especially after 1815, combined with ideological pressure to produce the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.
What earns the marks
- Explains parish-based administration and the distinction between outdoor and indoor relief before 1834.
- Explains the Speenhamland system as wage supplementation tied to bread prices and family size, and debates its effectiveness.
- Explains contemporary attitudes, including distinctions between deserving and undeserving poor and the role of Christian charity.
- Explains utilitarianism and Malthusian ideas as ideological influences favouring deterrence and less generous relief.
- Explains financial pressures such as rising poor rates, particularly after 1815, as a driver of demands for reform.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the old Poor Law as a single uniform system.
Put it right: It was parish-administered and varied widely in generosity and practice.
Assuming Speenhamland was a national law.
Put it right: It was a local magistrates' practice adopted in many but not all parishes.
Equating utilitarianism simply with cruelty.
Put it right: It was a philosophical principle about maximising welfare that critics applied to argue relief created dependency.
Exam tips
- Distinguish clearly between implementation, effectiveness, attitudes and pressures so each part of the question is addressed.
- Use specific evidence such as 1795, 1815 and 1834 to anchor arguments about change over time.
- When discussing effectiveness, weigh relief of distress against alleged effects on wages and incentives.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 1, Option 1D: Britain, c1785–c1870: democracy, protest and reform - 4 Poverty and pauperism, c1785–c1870: The old Poor Law and pressure for change: the implementation and effectiveness of poor relief before 1834, attitudes towards the poor and the influence of utilitarianism; financial and ideological pressures for change. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Under the old Poor Law before 1834, which group was normally responsible for levying poor rates and administering relief in each parish?
Listen
Before 1834 poor relief was administered by about 15,000 parishes under the Elizabethan framework, with outdoor relief in money or kind and indoor relief in workhouses. Implementation varied enormously: some parishes gave generous allowances, notably the Speenhamland system from 1795, which topped up wages according to bread prices and family size. Effectiveness is debated: it relieved acute distress but critics claimed it subsidised low wages, weakened incentives and burdened ratepayers. Attitudes ranged from Christian charity to suspicion of the 'undeserving' poor. Utilitarian ideas, especially Bentham's greatest happiness principle and Malthusian fears about population, pushed for deterrence. Financial pressure from rising rates, especially after 1815, combined with ideological pressure to produce the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains parish-based administration and the distinction between outdoor and indoor relief before 1834. Explains the Speenhamland system as wage supplementation tied to bread prices and family size, and debates its effectiveness. Explains contemporary attitudes, including distinctions between deserving and undeserving poor and the role of Christian charity. Explains utilitarianism and Malthusian ideas as ideological influences favouring deterrence and less generous relief. A common slip: Treating the old Poor Law as a single uniform system. Instead, it was parish-administered and varied widely in generosity and practice. Exam tip: Distinguish clearly between implementation, effectiveness, attitudes and pressures so each part of the question is addressed.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. The Speenhamland system topped up wages according to bread prices
- 2. The Poor Law Amendment Act was passed
- 3. Rising poor rates created financial pressure for change
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Poverty and pauperism
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Utilitarian and Malthusian thought
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Pressure for reform
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Poverty and pauperism
- The condition of the poor and the state of being a pauper, which the note links to relief given in money or kind outdoors and in workhouses indoors.
- Utilitarian and Malthusian thought
- Ideas such as Bentham's greatest happiness principle and Malthusian fears about population pushed for deterrence and less generous relief.
- Pressure for reform
- Financial pressure from rising rates, especially after 1815, combined with ideological pressure to produce the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.
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