Scottish poor laws

The Scottish poor laws were the statutes concerning poor relief passed in Scotland between 1579 and 1929.^[1] Scotland had a different poor law system to England and the workings of the Scottish laws differed greatly to the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 which applied in England and Wales.^[2]

In 1579, the Scottish Parliament passed an act which made individual parishes responsible for enumerating their own poor. More than merely enumerate, the purpose of the law was an "inquisition" into the circumstances of the individual poverty, so as to determine whether the poor were able to work, whether they had any other means of subsistence, and whether there were other persons, family or others, who might assist them. The laws at that time codified the need to assist the poor—but at the same time as outlawing what were apparently considered public nuisances: begging and vagrancy. In 1595, Buttock Mail, a Scottish poor rate began to be levied.^[3] There was further legislation in 1597 which made the parishes rather than the church responsible for the administration of poor relief. In 1672, magistrates were ordered to build correction houses or workhouses^[4] so that beggars could be made to work. In most of Scotland no Poor Rate (local property tax for the relief of the poor) was levied under the old system.

In 1843, a commission of inquiry was set up to suggest improvements to the Scottish poor law system. Proposals suggested included:

• Setting up a board of supervision and parochial boards^[5]
• The levying of a poor rate^[6]
• Joint poorhouses in urban areas^[7]
• An Inspector of the Poor who could examine requests for relief.^[8]