Poor law / Little Staughton, Bedfordshire

[spark]

Anyone got any knowledge of the poor law around Little Staughton, Bedfordshire.  It has been intimated that rather than be a burden on a parish for a long time, some would pay a sum to entice people to move elsewhere to work.  I am wandering if this was why one of our ancestors moved from Ag Lab in Little Staighton to the Leicestershire coal pits.

Thanks

Spark

[rchddap]

Would also be interested in this as one of my ancestors moved from Great Staughton up to the north of england as an Iron Miner.  We always assumed that he simply moved for work, but this could be another interesting possibility.

[bedfordshire boy]

Before 1834 those who were unemployed or who could not make ends meet received money from the parish, whilst still living in their own homes. The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act changed that. The act stated that:

(a) no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Parish unless they were in a workhouse;

(b) conditions in workhouses were to be made very harsh to discourage people from wanting to receive parish assistance.

So if a family did not want to move into the workhouse their parish relief was reduced/removed. They had to move to somewhere where there was work - the midlands and the north.

So it was more a negative enticement: either the workhouse  or move elsewhere.

I have seen references pre 1834 to parishes paying the emigration costs of families, but not simply to move elsewhere in the country, as presumably they could have been removed back to their original parish if they had not acquired settlement in their new parish.

Regards

David

[spark]

Thanks for this clarification.  I was looking more 1895 so this would not really aplly in our case.

Regards

Spark