The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 was a piece of poor law legislation in England and Wales. It provided the first complete code of

poor relief In English and British history, poor relief refers to government and ecclesiastical action to relieve poverty. Over the centuries, various authorities have needed to decide whose poverty deserves relief and also who should bear the cost of hel ...

and was later amended by the

Elizabethan Poor Law The Poor Relief Act 1601 (43 Eliz 1 c 2) was an Act of the Parliament of England. The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1601, popularly known as the Elizabethan Poor Law, "43rd Elizabeth" or the Old Poor Law was passed in 1601 and created a poor la ...

of 1601, which formed the basis of poor relief for the next two centuries. The Act established

overseers of the poor An overseer of the poor was an official who administered poor relief such as money, food, and clothing in England and various other countries which derived their law from England such as the United States. England In England, overseers of the poo ...

.Key dates in Poor Law and Relief Great Britain 1300–1899
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References

English Poor Laws Acts of the Parliament of England (1485–1603) 1597 in law 1597 in England {{England-statute-stub