The Poor Law Board was established in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in 1847 as a successor body to the
Poor Law Commission overseeing the administration of the
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 (4 & 5 Will. 4. c. 76) (PLAA) known widely as the New Poor Law, was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the British Whig Party, Whig government of Charles ...
. The board was abolished in 1871 and replaced by the
Local Government Board.
The new body was headed by a president, and with the
Lord President of the Council, the
Lord Privy Seal, the
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...
now added to the board as ''ex officio'' members.
Presidents of the Poor Law Board, 1847-1871
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Charles Buller 1847-1848
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Matthew Talbot Baines 1849-1852
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Sir John Trollope, Bt 1852
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Matthew Talbot Baines 1852-1855
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Edward Pleydell Bouverie 1855-1858
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Thomas Sotheron-Estcourt 1858-1859
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Charles Gordon-Lennox,
Earl of March 1859
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Charles Pelham Villiers 1859-1866
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Gathorne Hardy 1866-1867
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William Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon 1867-1868
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George Goschen 1868-1871
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James Stansfeld 1871
Parliamentary Secretaries to the Poor Law Board, 1847-1871
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Viscount Ebrington 1847-1851
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Ralph William Grey 1851-1852
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Frederick Knight 1852
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Grenville Berkeley 1853-1856
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Ralph Grey 1856-1858
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Frederick Knight 1858-1859
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Charles Gilpin 1859-1865
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Viscount Enfield 1865-1866
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Ralph Anstruther Earle 1866-1867
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George Sclater-Booth 1867-1868
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Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt 1868
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Arthur Peel 1868-1871
Bibliography
''Una and Her Paupers''
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...
& Anon, Diggory Press
Further reading
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{{Poor Law
Poor Law in Britain and Ireland
19th century in the United Kingdom
1847 establishments in the United Kingdom
1871 disestablishments in the United Kingdom