Edwin Chadwick

• Where and when was Edwin Chadwick born?


  Near Manchester in 1800
• What did Chadwick write about?


  The contemporary social conditions and political issues which interested him
• What were the the social conditions and political issues which interested him

  • the appalling living conditions of working of working classes
  • Influence that environment appeared to have on health
• Chadwick’s attracted whose attention?

  Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), an Utilitarian philosopher and founding member of UCL
• Was Chadwick‘s early writing a success?


  Chadwick gained Bentham’s attention and became his secretary - greatly influenced by his philosophy and judicial reform proposals
• When was the Royal Commission set up?


  In 1832
• What was Chadwick’s role in the Royal Commission 


  appointed Assistant Commissioner
• What tasks did Assistant Commissioners have


  Investigating the operation (and abuses) of the Poor Law in London
• What was Chadwick like an Investigator?


  Tireless, insisted on seeing horrors of slum life in Victorian London - decrepit housing, disease, no sewerage, no clean water, poverty, and intolerably high levels of mortality.
• Successes of Chadwick as an Investigator 


  His final report to the Commissioners led to the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act
• What did the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act recommend?


  formation of a centralised administration and uniform regulations for relief
• Who issued rules and orders to reform relief?

  A central Poor Law Board - three Commissioners with Chadwick as first secretary
• What did Poor Law Commissioners quickly learn about poverty?


  It was direct result of ill health
• What did Chadwick begin to press after Royal Commissioners concluded cause of poverty?


  Public health measures
• What did Chadwick publish in 1842?


  Three volume report “ An Inquiry into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain“
• When was the Public Health Act and the Nuisances Removal and Diseases Prevention Act passed?


  1848
• Was Chadwick’s efforts recognised?


  He was awarded the KCB (a knighthood, enabling him to use the title ‘Sir’) in 1889.
• Why did the public health act powered by Edwin Chadwick mark a turning point

  • The act led to significant improvements in sanitation, sewage, and clean water supplies 
  • The health of the overall population improved due to the containment of diseases 
  • The Act led to the establishment of a structured and systematic approach to public health care.
• Key points of Edwin Chadwick’s sanitary report

  • Association of diseases with filthy living conditions
  • Economic implications
  • Chadwick advocated for preventative public health measures
• Who was against Chadwick’s report 


  Conservatives - feared cost implications of these measures
• What does Utilitarianism mean?


  branch of moral philosophy which holds the view that the best actions are those that benefit the majority of people.
• What did Chadwick propose for the abolition of outdoor relief 


  Chadwick, advocating for the abolition of outdoor relief under the influence of utilitarian principles, proposed the ‘workhouse test’.
• Was Chadwick‘s suggestions always seen as successful?


  No, he generated widespread public backlash, particularly on moral grounds. Its impact was a dichotomy of efficiency in monetary aspects and arguably, the degradation of ethical and humanitarian principles. 
• What else did Chadwick reform 


  Policies of prisons in the 19th Century, advocating utilitarian principles of 'greatest good for the greatest number' in delivering prison sentences.
• Successes of his recommendations

  approximately 50% of English districts had appointed a Medical Officer of Health by 1858, after advocating the creation of a separate, local authority for maintaining sanitation. 
• Successes of Public Health Act of 1848 influenced by Chadwick’s research and recommendations 


  Estimated that average life expectancy in England increased by nearly 20 years within 3 generations
• When did Chadwick die?


  6th July 1890
• What does utilitarianism focus on when evaluating actions?


  Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of actions rather than the actions themselves.
• What was Chadwick's professional background before social reform?


  Chadwick was trained as a lawyer before becoming interested in social reform.
• What type of approach did Chadwick use in addressing social problems?


  Chadwick was known for his evidence-based approach to social problems.
• How did Chadwick's utilitarian beliefs manifest in the Poor Law Report of 1834?


  Chadwick advocated for a more efficient poor relief system and recommended the workhouse system to deter able-bodied poor from seeking relief.
• What principle did Chadwick introduce in the Poor Law Report regarding workhouses?


  Chadwick introduced the principle of "less eligibility," stating that conditions in workhouses should be less desirable than those of the lowest-paid independent laborer.
• How did Chadwick's recommendations aim to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers?


  Chadwick's recommendations aimed to create a more efficient poor relief system that would reduce overall costs and encourage self-reliance among the able-bodied poor.
• What was the main recommendation of the Sanitary Report of 1842?


  The Sanitary Report highlighted the link between poor sanitation and disease and recommended centralized systems for water supply and sewage disposal.
• What were some negative impacts of Chadwick's utilitarian approach?


  Negative impacts included harsh conditions in workhouses, social stigma for the poor, family separation, and a short-term focus on cost-saving.
• What long-term legacy did Chadwick's approach leave on social policy?


  Chadwick's approach laid the groundwork for future public health initiatives and the development of the welfare state.
• How did Chadwick promote the use of empirical evidence in policymaking?


  Chadwick promoted the use of statistics and empirical evidence in policymaking through his evidence-based approach.
• What was the principle of deterrence in the Poor Law Amendment Act?


  The principle of deterrence aimed to discourage able-bodied individuals from seeking poor relief by making workhouses less attractive than independent labor.
• How did the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 reflect utilitarian principles?


  The Act established a central Poor Law Commission, implemented the workhouse system, and aimed to reduce costs while encouraging self-reliance, all reflecting utilitarian principles.
• What was the classification of paupers in the Poor Law Amendment Act?


  The classification of paupers separated different categories such as able-bodied, elderly, and children to provide appropriate care while maintaining the deterrent effect.