The 1601 act saw a move away from the more obvious forms of punishing paupers under the Tudor system towards methods of "correction".

[6] These include: The origins of the Old Poor Law extend back into the 15th century with the decline of the monasteries and the breakdown of the medieval social structure.

Meanwhile, able-bodied beggars who had refused work were often placed in houses of correction (indoor relief).

[citation needed] The 1601 Poor Law could be described as "parochial" as the administrative unit of the system was the parish.

This system allowed greater sensitivity towards paupers, but also made tyrannical behaviour from overseers possible.

[9] There was much variation in the application of the law and there was a tendency for the destitute to migrate towards the more generous parishes, usually situated in the towns.

Some cities, such as Bristol, Exeter and Liverpool were able to obtain by-laws which established their control onto several of the urban parishes within their jurisdiction.

), which allowed the city to create a 'manufactory' so that the profits from the paupers' work could be used for maintenance of the poor relief system.

The system was designed for a pre-industrial society, industrialisation, a mobile population, a series of bad harvests during the 1790s and the Napoleonic Wars tested the old poor law to the breaking point.

The act was criticised in later years for its distortion of the labour market, through the power given to parishes to let them remove 'undeserving' poor.

Another criticism of the Act was that it applied to rated land not personal or movable wealth, therefore benefiting commercial and business interests.

For this reason parishes such as Bristol combined these institutions so that the profits paupers made were plunged back into the maintenance of the system.

Following the example of Bristol, twelve more towns and cities established similar corporations in the next two decades.

The Society published several pamphlets on the subject, and supported Sir Edward Knatchbull in his successful efforts to steer the Poor Relief Act 1722 (9 Geo.

More importantly, the act helped to publicise the idea of establishing workhouses to a national audience.

Although many parishes and pamphlet writers expected to earn money from the labour of the poor in workhouses, the vast majority of people obliged to take up residence in workhouses were ill, elderly, or children whose labour proved largely unprofitable.

The demands, needs and expectations of the poor also ensured that workhouses came to take on the character of general social policy institutions, combining the functions of crèche, night shelter, geriatric ward and orphanage.

It promoted indoor alternatives and allowed parishes to combine to support the impotent poor.

Mechanisation meant that unemployment was increasing[citation needed], therefore poor relief costs could not be met.

The Corn Laws were passed by the Tory government of Lord Liverpool to protect British farmers.

There were concerns over corruption within the system as contracts for supplying food and beer often went to local traders or these vestries.

The increasing numbers of people claiming relief peaked after the economic dislocation caused by the French Wars when it was 12 shillings per head of population.

The effect of poor relief, in the view of the reformers, was to undermine the position of the "independent labourer".

Evidence to the 1837 Committee on the Poor Law Amendment Act also found some support for the existing system.