Scottish Poor Law

The Scottish Poor Law described laws regarding poverty relief in Scotland during the 1800s and 1900s.

In Scotland the able-bodied poor had no automatic right to poor relief as in England. The Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 created a central Board of Supervision which had the ability to raise local taxes to cover Poor relief costs. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/bsurface_08.shtml BBC - History - Beneath the Surface: A Country of Two Nations ] ]

Unlike in England the Scottish pauper had a legal right to appeal if they were denied poor relief. Outdoor relief was common however mismanagement of the system meant that a more restricted system after 1868 which relief more on the workhouse.

The Archives and Special Collections at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow hold more than 1,000,000 applications for poor relief made by residents of Glasgow and the West of Scotland. These records can proof extremely useful for the family historian, and contain detailed notes and information about the applicants, their families and life. [ [http://www.scotlandontv.tv/scotland_on_tv/video.html?vxSiteId=60fdd544-9c52-4e17-be7e-57a2a2d76992&vxChannel=Ancestor%20Trace%20Your%20Roots&vxClipId=1380_SMG1938&vxBitrate=300 Video Interview at the Mitchell Library] with Dr. Irene O'Brien, showing an example of a Poor Law application (February, 2008)]

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