Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845

Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845^[1]
	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for the Amendment and better Administration of the Laws relating to the Relief of the Poor in Scotland.
Citation	8 & 9 Vict. c. 83
Territorial extent	Scotland
Dates
Royal assent	4 August 1845
Other legislation
Amended by	Statute Law Revision Act 1875
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Last updated August 30, 2025

The Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. 83) was an Act of Parliament that reformed the Poor Law system of Scotland.^[2]

Main provisions

The creation of a Board of Supervision to regulate the Poor Law system.
A retention of the parish-based system through parochial boards
Powers for the parochial boards to raise taxes
Poor relief could continue to be in the form of outdoor relief, poorhouses could be built to aid the sick
Parishes should join together to build poorhouses
An Inspector of the Poor decided whether applications for poor relief were legitimate

References

↑ The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by the Short Titles Act 1896, section 1 and the first schedule. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
↑ Higginbotham, Peter, "The Workhouse in Scotland", workhouse.org.uk, archived from the original on 17 February 2015, retrieved 31 January 2015

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[1] The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by the Short Titles Act 1896, section 1 and the first schedule. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.

[2] Higginbotham, Peter, "The Workhouse in Scotland", workhouse.org.uk, archived from the original on 17 February 2015, retrieved 31 January 2015

[1]

[2]

v t e Poor laws of the British Isles
Poor laws by territory	England and Wales Scotland Ireland Isle of Man	Nantwich workhouse
Old Poor Law	Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494 Tudor poor laws Poor Relief Act 1597 Poor Relief Act 1601 Poor Relief Act 1662 Relief of the Poor Act 1696 Poor Relief Act 1722 Relief of the Poor Act 1782 House of correction Overseer of the poor Poor rate Poor relief Buttock mail
Relief systems	Outdoor relief Speenhamland Labour Rate Roundsman Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor
New Poor Law	Royal commission (1832) Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 Less eligibility Workhouse Workhouse test Board of guardians Outdoor Labour Test Order Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order Poor law unions Opposition Book of Murder Scottish poorhouse
Changes after 1834	Poor Law Commission Poor Law Board Local Government Board Andover workhouse scandal Huddersfield workhouse scandal Union Chargeability Act
Decline and abolition	Liberal welfare reforms Royal Commission (1905–09) Majority Report Minority Report Interwar poverty National Assistance Act 1948
Other	Christmas Day in the Workhouse Historiography of the Poor Laws Timeline of the English poor law system Poor Relief Act List of poor law unions in England List of poor law unions in Wales List of Irish poor law unions

Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845

Contents

Main provisions

See also

References