Poverty in the South Wales Valleys
The 'Welfare State' that we have
in Britain today did not begin until the early 20th
century. In the 19th century if a miner was not in
work (through illness, old age, unemployment etc.)
he and his family had no automatic right to social
security benefits as we do today. Therefore, even
in fairly prosperous years there was always some real
poverty. In such circumstances the poor would have
to rely on help from their family and on ‘tick’ (credit)
from the shops. During periods of unemployment and
strikes they often had to resort to picking coal from
the tips and selling it, and soup kitchens where free
meals were provided.
If help and charity were not enough
the only alternative was to 'go on the Parish'. This
meant applying to the Poor Law Authorities for help.
Each Parish set aside some of the m money raised from
the rates for poor relief which was doled out by Guardians,
who were elected by the ratepayers. After the Poor
Law Amendment Act was passed by Parliament in 1834
the Poor Law Unions (a number of parishes joined together)
had to set up Workhouses. Usually those who applied
for poor relief had to go into these Workhouses where
conditions were harsh, for example, is the food given
in Swansea Workhouse in 1862:-
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3/4 lb of potatoes or 1/21b
of rice with 4oz vegetables. One lb of pudding
was given on two days and 4oz of bread and
1!/2 pints of pea-soup on the other two. Supper
was 7oz of bread and 1 1/2pints of broth,
with 2oz of cheese and bread on two nights.
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Entering the Workhouse was called
receiving 'in-relief' and usually the authorities
did not believe in giving out-relief (money or food
to people outside the workhouse) except in very few
cases and then it would be no more than 2s. 6d. per
week. By the end of the 19th century when there was
a great deal of unemployment or a major strike, out-relief
could be given only if work was done in return. This
work was often very hard.
Self Help
Because of the poverty and hardship
which might befall a miner as a result of an accident
at work, some colliery companies set up their own
Insurance . Funds which paid sickness benefit for
short periods. However, the main method chosen by
working people to guard against the poverty which
might come from illness and old age, was to join a
Friendly Society. People paid a weekly subscription
to these Societies and in return they would receive
assistance during difficult times.
These societies began in the early
19th century and were then organised on particular
trades or areas and even individual public houses.
After 1850 there was a tremendous growth in the societies
and by the end of the century there were some 1,500
societies in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire alone, with
nearly 250,000 members. By then it was the big national
orders which were dominant-the Oddfellows, Hearts
of Oak, the Ivorites. Not only were they a popular
form of self-help, the societies were also organisations
which people joined for the enjoyment that was had
on 'club nights' and on processions and marches that
were held. They were also very democratic organisations
and gave training to many future community leaders.
The societies did not pay very good benefits on the
death of a member and with so many deaths from mining
disasters taking place in South Wales, by the 1890s
insurance companies such as the Prudential and special
insurance funds (known as Permanent Relief Funds)
were also active in the valleys
