Poor Relief Act 1722
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1722 c. 7 |
| Year | 1722 |
(9 Geo. 1) C A P. VII. Anno Regni Georgii Regis Magn Britanni, Franci & Hiberni, nono.
Act Act for amending the Laws relating to the Settlement, Imployment and Relief of the Poor.
I & 4 W. & M. c. 11. s. 11. For former Laws refer to 43 El. c. 2. 3. Car. 1. c. 5. 13 & 14 Car. 2. c. 12. 22 & 23 Car. 2. c. 18. 1. Jac. 2. c. 17. 3 & 4 W. & M. c. 11. 8 & 9 W. 3. c. 30. 9 & 10 W. 3. c. 11. 32 Ann. St. 1. c. 18. 5 Geo. 1. c. 8.
'I. W H E R E A S by an Act of Parliament made and passed in the third and fourth Years of the Reign of their late Majesties King William and Queen Mary , it was provided, That in every Parish a Book or Books should be kept, wherein the Names of all Persons who did or might receive Collections should be registred, with the Time when they were first admitted to such Relief, and the Occasion which brought them under that Necessity; and that no such Person should be allowed to have or receive Collection at the Charge of the Parish, but by Authority or under the Hand of one Justice of Peace residing in such Parish, or if none there dwelling in the Parts near or next adjoining, or by Order of the Justices at their Quarter-Sessions, except in Case of pestilential Diseases, Plague or Small-Pox: And whereas under Colour of the Proviso in the said Act, many Persons have applied to some Justices of Peace, without the Knowledge of any Officers of the Parish, and thereby upon untrue Suggestions, and sometimes upon false or frivolous Pretences have obtained Relief, which hath greatly contributed to the Increase of the Parish-Rates:' For Remedy whereof, Be it enacted by the King's most ExcellentMajesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the twenty-fifth Day ofMarch which shall be in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty-three, no Justice of Peace shall order Relief to any poor Peason dwelling in any Parish, until Oath be made before such Justice of some Matter which he shall judge to be a reasonable Cause or Ground for having such Relief, and that the same Person had by himself, herself or some other, applied for Relief to the Parishioners of the Parish, at some Vestry or other publick Meeting of the said Parishioners, or to two of the Overseers of the Poor of such Parish, and was by them refused to be relieved, and until such Justice hath summoned two of the Overseers of the Poor to shew Cause why such Relief should not be given, and the Person of summoned hath been heard or made Default to appear before such Justice; any Thing in the said Proviso, or any Law to the contrary notwithstanding.
II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Person whom any such Justice of Peace shall think fit to order to be relieved, shall be entred in such Book or Books so to be kept by the Parish, as one of those who is to receive Collection, as long as the Cause for such Relief continues, and no longer; and that no Officer of any Parish shall (except upon sudden and emergent Occasions) bring to the Account of the Parish any Monies he shall give to any poor Person of the same Parish, who is not registred in such Book or Books to be kept by the said Parish, as a Person entitled to receive Collection, on Pain of forfeiting the Sum of five Pounds, to be levied by Distress and Sale, by Warrant of any two or more Justices of the Peace of the same County, who shall have examined into and found him guilty of such Offence; which said Sum shall be applied to and for the Use of the Poor of the said Parish, by Direction of the said Justice or Justices of the Peace.
III Justices dwelling out of a County, may grant Warrants, &c.
III. And for the greater Ease of Justices of the Peace, whom his Majesty or his Successors hath or shall by Commission authorize to act as a Justice of the Peace for any County of this Realm; Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any such Justice of Peace shall happen to dwell in any City, or other Precinct that is a County of...
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