The Loes and Wilford Poor Law Incorporation, 1765-1826

Between 1660 and 1841, some 149 "corporations of the poor" were created in England through local acts. By uniting a number of parishes, these "corporations" hoped to deal more effectively with the growing problem of pauperism. This volume, focussing on 33 parishes in the hundreds of Loes and Wilford in east Suffolk, is the first detailed exploration of a rural incorporation. The incorporation's approach towards the poor was truly revolutionary: setting the able-bodied to work in the purpose-built house of industry, educating the children, punishing the indolent, and caring for the sick and impotent in a humane way. By charting the incorporation's complete history, this volume allows for the exploration of the wide range of social policies implemented during those years. Through a wealth of documents, we witness the zeal of the initial promoters in the 1760s; the construction and management of the House; the development of medical services; the problems faced by the economic crisis of the 1790s; and, as costs continued to rise, the gradual disillusionment of the local elites, leading to the institution's demise in 1826. JOHN SHAW obtained his PhD from the University of East Anglia