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| Help from the parish | |||||||||||
| What was life like for poor people before 1834 ? | Glossary | |
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From Queen
Elizabeth I's reign in
1597 poor people were cared for by
a system Every parish was responsible for its own inhabitants and an overseer of the poor was appointed to collect money from the wealthier landowners. This was used to feed, clothe, house and find work for the poor. In times of need many families relied on poor relief to help them survive. Paupers became known as "Badgers" because of the prominent "P" badge they were forced to wear. |
Queen Elizabeth
I - reigned from 1558-1603. |
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| A case of abandoned children in 1743 | ||
| In
1743 Rees Davies of the parish of Llandevalle, in the County
of Breconshire ran off and abandoned his three children. As the children were left with no means of support, the overseers of the poor would have helped to provide food, clothing and a home for them. |
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The official record
shown here reads: Property belonging to Rees Davies was sold to help pay for the support of his children, as shown on the next page ... More about the abandoned children ...
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called
poor relief.