Poor Law Guardians, Coalminers, and Friendly Societies in Northern England, 1860–1894: Statutory Provision, Local Autonomy, and Individual Responsibility

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which the Poor Law dealt with victims of coalmining accidents who, though friendly society members, felt compelled to apply for parochial relief. It shows that although the Poor Law authorities provided explicit guidance on how to deal with such cases, guardians in the northern coalfields proved strikingly heterodox in the policies which they pursued. It is suggested that their independence has significant implications for our understanding of the relationship between statutory provision, local autonomy, and individual responsibility.