The poor relief system in 19th-century New Brunswick largely reflected British traditions brought over by New England settlers. When Loyalist refugees arrived, they brought with them established ideas and practices related to poverty and welfare, including the adoption of poor laws similar to those in the Thirteen Colonies. New Brunswick’s 1786 Poor Law closely mirrored New England legislation, itself based on England’s 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law. It required every parish to raise funds through local taxation to support its poor.
Initially, this applied across all parishes. However, starting in 1837, Acadian communities in Westmorland, Kent, Northumberland, and Gloucester were temporarily exempted from these taxes, a policy later extended to Carleton County and lasting until 1850. Gradual legislation between 1861 and 1868 began bringing Acadian communities in Dorchester, Moncton, and Shediac under similar oversight and funding requirements.
Under the 1786 law, local justices appointed three overseers of the poor for each parish annually. Service was mandatory, and those who refused or failed in their duties could be fined, with the money directed toward poor relief. Overseers had wide discretion and were expected to report on the condition of the poor at annual General Sessions. Justices would then review the reports and authorize taxes for the upcoming year. By 1793, justices were allowed to issue additional assessments mid-year to deal with sudden increases in need.
To discourage idleness, overseers (with judicial approval) could force unemployed individuals likely to become a burden on the parish to work for anyone willing to hire them. Those who refused were subject to up to a month of hard labor. Children of destitute parents could be apprenticed, sometimes without parental consent—girls until 18 and boys until 21.
A key method of care involved boarding the poor with private citizens at public expense—often awarded to the lowest bidder. Overseers were directed to choose caretakers offering the lowest cost, provided they treated the poor humanely. This “contract system,” borrowed from New England practices, was common throughout New Brunswick in the 1800s. Some parishes even held pauper auctions, where the care of the poor was auctioned off annually. The practice continued in Kings County until the opening of an almshouse in 1899.
Unfortunately, both systems were open to abuse. Lack of oversight led to neglect and mistreatment. Inquests in Kings County revealed instances of death due to neglect, injuries from mistreatment, and even cases of paupers dying while trying to escape poor living conditions.
As the century progressed, the contract system began to give way to institutional care. Almshouses were viewed as more humane and economical. Despite early resistance—often due to concerns over taxation—county and parish almshouses were gradually established. The Saint John Alms House opened first in 1801. Other counties followed: York (1823), Saint John County (1843), Northumberland (1869), and Kings (1899). Moncton built its own poorhouse in 1885, as Westmorland County lacked one. Several smaller parishes, particularly in Charlotte County, also established institutions in the 1800s.
Initially, local legislation was required to build and manage almshouses. By 1897, County Councils had the authority to establish them independently. Management typically shifted from parish overseers to boards of commissioners, though in some areas both systems operated concurrently—overseers continued to provide food, fuel, and clothing as “outdoor relief,” while commissioners oversaw the operation of almshouses.
A residence requirement law was enacted in 1876, stipulating that paupers must have lived in a parish for a year to qualify for support. Counties without almshouses—like Kent, Albert, and Victoria—continued to use the contract system well into the 20th century. Despite criticism from reform groups, this outdated system persisted into the late 1920s.
Almshouses offered food, shelter, and work for those in need. Workhouses were designed for the idle and disorderly, offering correctional supervision. Although able-bodied paupers were expected to contribute labor, particularly in farming or maintenance, it was difficult to keep them occupied year-round, especially during winters. Children and adults shared space with minimal classification, which often led to demoralization. Prior to the province’s first hospital in 1865, almshouses also served as healthcare facilities, making them dangerous during epidemics.
Even as late as 1949, general almshouses housing all classes of poor were still common. There was no centralized system for poor relief in the 1800s—each parish, town, or city handled its own affairs, except in Saint John, York, Kings, and Northumberland, where local jurisdictions cooperated to run county almshouses.
In this decentralized system, the resources of individual parishes, towns, and cities were not taken into account, leading to inconsistent treatment of the poor that depended heavily on the decisions of local authorities. However, the pressure on these local units to support paupers under the Poor Law was eased to some extent by the emergence of various public and private welfare initiatives. Numerous charitable organizations and institutions were established—particularly in the Saint John area, which, as the province’s main commercial and industrial hub and primary entry point for immigrants, faced a significantly higher demand to support transients, impoverished newcomers, and local paupers than any other region in New Brunswick.
This post has already been read 1787 times!
