MEN OF YESTERDAY: LANCASTER POOR LAW UNION, 1870–1911

Abstract

The late Victorian and Edwardian periods have been presented in welfare historiography as a smooth progression from the harsh deterrent policies of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act to the prototypical early Welfare State. This portrayal has been contested in recent scholarship, with particular focus on the notorious ‘crusade’ against outdoor relief, when central government encouraged guardians of the poor to cut relief outside the workhouse to a minimum. This article builds on that refreshed historical perspective by examining the guardians of the Lancaster poor law union during this era. It finds their response to the profound social and ideological changes of this period was not at all straightforward, and despite signs of progressivism, this board ultimately remained attached to the principles of 1834. In doing so, it demonstrates the need for further local study in order to fully understand the highly localised operation of the New Poor Law.