Poor Relief in England, 1350}}}1600 [Paperback]

This ground-breaking work traces developments in poor relief from the mid-fourteenth century to the Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601.This groundbreaking work is the first to trace developments in poor relief from the mid fourteenth century to the Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601. It explores changing conceptions of poverty and charity and altered roles for the church, state and private organizations in the provision of relief.This groundbreaking work is the first to trace developments in poor relief from the mid fourteenth century to the Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601. It explores changing conceptions of poverty and charity and altered roles for the church, state and private organizations in the provision of relief.Between the mid fourteenth century and the Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601, English poor relief moved toward a more coherent and comprehensive network of support. Marjorie McIntosh's study, the first to trace developments across that time span, focuses on three types of assistance: licensed begging and the solicitation of charitable alms; hospitals and almshouses for the bedridden and elderly; and the aid given by parishes. It explores changing conceptions of poverty and charity and altered roles for the church, state and private organizations in the provision of relief. The study highlights fraud and negligence, mounting concern with proper supervision and accounting, cooperation between national and lower levels of government, and the creativity of local people in responding to poverty. This groundbreaking work challenges existing accounts of the Poor Laws, showing that they addressed problems with forms of aid already in use rather than creating a new system of relief.1. Introduction; Part I. Late Medieval and Early Tudor Patterns: 2. Seeking alms; 3. Late medieval hospitals and almshouses; 4. Aid given through and by the parish; Part II. Profound Change during the Early Reformation Period: 5. New ideas and new policies, c.153053; Part III. Intensified Problems and Alterel/