A Handy Book for Guardians of the Poor
Being a Complete Manual of the Duties of the Office, the Treatment of Typical Cases, with Practical Examples, etc., etc.

Published in 1876, this guide was written to help people administering poor relief under the terms of the Poor Law.

George C. T. Bartley (Author)

9781108036856, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 8 December 2011

248 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.4 cm, 0.32 kg

George C. T. Bartley KCB (1842–1910) spent twenty years as a civil servant, becoming Assistant Director in the Art and Science Department, before standing for election as a Conservative MP. He was elected in 1885 as the Member for Islington. He was a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and Westminster, and also founded the National Penny Bank. Bartley had a keen interest in social issues, particularly poverty and education, and he wrote several books on these subjects, as well as numerous penny pamphlets aimed at improving the lives of the working class. Published in 1876, this book was based on Bartley's experiences as a Guardian of the Poor - an administrator for the Poor Law of 1834. It was written as a practical guide for anyone wishing to become involved in administering poor relief under the terms of the Poor Law.

Preface
Part I. General: 1. The election
2. First experience
Part II. Special Evils Consequent on Relief and their Treatment: 3. The habit of dependence on the Parish and its treatment
4. The habit of indolence and its treatment
5. The want of thrift and its treatment
6. The habit of deception and its treatment
7. The habit of children neglecting their parents and its treatment
Part III. Out and In-door Relief in Ordinary Cases: 8. Sickness and its treatment
9. Widows and their treatment
10. Deserted wives and their treatment
11. Drunkenness and its treatment
12. Extravagant paupers and their treatment
13. Imposture in illness and its treatment
14. The spread of contagious diseases and its treatment
15. Non-resident cases and their treatment
16. Casuals and their treatment
17. Illegitimate births in the workhouse
18. Miscellaneous in and out-door relief experiences
Part IV. Anomalies and Peculiarities of Poor-Law Relief: 19. Rich paupers
20. Honest paupers
21. Weekly receipts from the Parish, from alms, etc.
22. Periodical exodus from the workhouse
23. Injudicious advice
24. Domestic pauper life
25. Paupers' creches
Part V. Permanent Remedial Measures: 26. The workhouse schools
27. Education of the children of out-door paupers
28. The rigid investigation of each application for relief
29. The harmonious co-operation between charity and legal relief
30. Relief on loan
Part VI. Miscellaneous: 31. Ex-officio Guardians
32. Women as Guardians of the Poor
33. Conferences of Poor-Law Guardians
34. Foundlings
35. Guardians as contractors or sub-contractors in the supply of goods to the Parish
36. The keeping of pigs in workhouse grounds
37. Increases in salaries and wages
38. The Law of Settlement
39. The treatment of blind, deaf and dumb, lame, deformed, idiotic, imbecile, insane, and other permanently afflicted classes of the poor
40. Conclusion. The second election.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural history [HBTB]