Data: Kent Poor Law and occupational records

New release from Findmypast: Kent Poor Law and Occupations

Search for you Kent ancestors in this index of more than 2,000 poor law and occupation records. The records include church registers, alehouse keepers’ licenses and poor law documents that may reveal a variety of details relating to you ancestor’s birth, baptism, death, residence and occupation.

The office of overseer of the poor was officially created in 1572 to collect and distribute parish poor relief. The Poor Law was funded by a local tax (Poor Rate). Subsequent Acts of Parliament changed the system from being a purely voluntary measure and introduced new rules and regulations to help maintain and control the poor. It was not until 1930 that the Poor Laws were finally abolished.