Poor Relief Applications
Life in the 19th century in particular for our ancestors was often one long struggle to keep food on the table and a roof over the heads of the families. It was a fine line between being in work and being at the mercy of the parish and your neighbours/wider family for support. The Elizabethan attempts to help the poor in 1601 was the first effort to provide support to those in greatest need and lasted almost 250 years until the mid 1830’s when more harsh reforms were applied.
Poor Relief Gallery
The detail on the images below demonstrates the dire straits that the applicants were in to be forced to appeal to the poor relief commission for assistance. Many were seriously ill or injured from work with large families to feed and relief from the commissioners was the only thing keeping them alive.
