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From: Eirwyn Morris <>
Subject: [CON-GEN] Relieving Officer
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 19:07:38 +0100


Joan Hunter
A Relieving Officer is in charge of giving relief to those in financial
need.
Here¹s one explanation with an Irish slant
Regarsd
Eirwyn
Relieving Officer

With the passage of the Irish Poor Relief Extension Act 1847, and consequent
introduction of Out Door Relief, the boards required additional staff to
carry out this new service. Eight relief districts were established within
the Ennistymon Union. A relief officer was appointed to each one and all
applications were made to him. The duties of the relieving officer were
outlined in 1st Report Irish Poor Law Commissioners 1848 "It will be his
(relieving officer) duty forthwith to examine into the circumstances of
every case by visiting the home of the applicant, by making all necessary
inquiries into the state of health, the ability to work, and the means of
such applicant; and he will have to report the result of such inquiries, in
a prescribed form, to the Board of Guardians at the next meeting. Under
ordinary circumstances, the amount of relief to be granted in each case will
be fixed by the Board of Guardians exclusively."

In cases of urgent necessity the relieving officer had the authority to
grant provisional relief but this had to be approved by the board of
guardians at their next meeting.

The relieving officer had to keep detailed accounts of all money and
material given in out door relief. The account had to be authenticated by
the clerk and approved by the Board of Guardians. He was expected to reside
in the relief district to which he was appointed "devoting his full time to
the performance of the duties of his office." This in effect meant that he
could not have any other trade, profession or business. The Poor Law
Commissioners were trying to prevent a situation arising where the relieving
officer¹s objectivity and partiality could be compromised by customers or
clients attempting to "conciliate his favour." They believed that the
relieving officer should possess the same qualities as a policeman, "he
ought to possess firmness of mind, so as to be enabled in the discharge of
his duty to resist intimidation from whatever quarter it might come."

Back to Workhouse Staff
From: Bret Busby <>
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 13:20:03 +0800 (WST)
To:
Subject: Re: [CON-GEN] Relieving Officer

On Mon, 2 Sep 2002, Joan Hunter/Simon Reeve wrote:

>
> Hi, list,
> My g-grandfather, John Lobb, of Gerrans, Cornwall, was listed in the
> 1901 census as a "Relieving Officer". Can anyone please tell me what this
> job might have entailed?
> Thanks much,
> Joan Hunter
> Essex, Ontario
> Canada
>

Did the census entry, have an employer's name?

I assume, from the position name "Relieving Officer", that the person
was like a locum doctor, or a relieving teacher, where the particular
job was to temporarily replace people as they went on leave or whatever.
That could then mean that the person either provided temporary relief,
on an ongoing basis, or, was just relieving in the particular position
occupied, at the time of the census.

Possibilities, anyway...

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia

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