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Paisley Poor Law
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Volume of Paisley Poor Law, circa 1850
The collection of Poor Law volumes in Renfrewshire Libraries Local Studies Library is one of the richest in Scotland. At present we have volumes with indexes from 1839 until 1930. There is a 70-year rule of closure on these records. Not all volumes are kept in the Local Studies Library. Those that are kept in the outside store can be requested in advance and we will notify you when they are available for viewing.
To qualify for poor relief under the law a person had to be unable to support themselves either through age or incapacity. The able-bodied poor were not generally entitled to relief; however in practice they often received some degree of help. During the period covered by our records, poor relief was administered by parochial boards.
The information contained in applications for poor relief can be of great help to genealogists. Records contain the applicant's:
- name
- age
- marital status, including previous spouses
- detailed information on their children
- their religion
- their employment status
- any other sources of income they may have
- the reason for their application
- details of their disability
For more information about poor relief, please visit the National Archives of Scotland website.
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