Page 87 - GAHS Journal Volume 9

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 9

Education

Samuel Lewis mentions schools in several towns and
villages on his survey of County Wicklow dated 1835.

Poor Laws and the Famine

In 1703 the Irish Parliament passed an act 'Providing the
erection of a workhouse
and for the maintenance
and apprenticing out of
foundling children'. These
became known as
'Houses of Industry', then
in 1838 came the Irish
Poor Law Act following on
from a Royal Commission
on the Poorer Classes in
Ireland 1833. The Poor
Law act provided work-
house or outdoor relief
administered by Poor Law
Unions in Ireland.

There were three work-
houses in County Wick-
low; Baltinglass, Shille-
lagh, and Rathdrum. Figure 7 Poor Law Division of
Leinster 1897
During the Great Famine,
work-houses became so overwhelmed that large
numbers of paupers were assisted to emigrate, or
encouraged to work on the famine roads where a form of
outdoor relief was given by low wages to purchase food
for themselves and the family. This had the effect of
permitting more to enter the workhouse in the hope of
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