Devon County Council

Until the early 1830s welfare support for the poor and infirm was organised at the local, parish level.  It was in the 16th century, during the reign of Henry VIII and following the dissolution of the monasteries and the closing of almshouses and charity hospitals run by monks and nuns,  that the parishes first became responsible for supporting their own poor.  In order to do this, the parishes had to raise  money by taxing the parishioners - landowners, tenant farmers and trades-people - who could afford to pay.  This payment was known as the Poor Rate, and eventually became a local tax levied on those who owned or rented properties above a certain value in a parish.

The Poor Law Act of 1832 resulted in the introduction of a system of Poor Law Unions - parishes were grouped together into larger Unions each of which built its own workhouse which was administered by a Board of Guardians.

To read more about the history of poor relief, and about the records which have resulted from the support of the poor at both parish and Union level, choose from the pages below:

• Poor Law Records
• Settlement Records
• Apprenticeship Records
• Other Poor Law records
• Recommended sources on the Poor Law - printed sources and web-sites