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The Parish and the Pauper: Poor Relief in Rural Sweden 1799-1865

Folkesson, Emilia LU (2025) EKHS12 20251
Department of Economic History
Abstract (Swedish)
This thesis investigates the development of poor relief in rural Sweden through a case study of Fränninge parish from 1799 to 1865, a period marked by agricultural enclosures and legal reforms. Using detailed parish poor fund accounts, the study traces changes in welfare provision in a period of socioeconomic transformation and population growth. The analysis reveals a significant expansion of poor relief, especially following the 1847 Poor Relief Ordinance. The effect of enclosures was smaller, but nonetheless considerable. The parish poor fund also functioned as a local credit institution mainly supporting freeholders, suggesting a link between agricultural development and access to capital and social welfare. This dual role highlights... (More)
This thesis investigates the development of poor relief in rural Sweden through a case study of Fränninge parish from 1799 to 1865, a period marked by agricultural enclosures and legal reforms. Using detailed parish poor fund accounts, the study traces changes in welfare provision in a period of socioeconomic transformation and population growth. The analysis reveals a significant expansion of poor relief, especially following the 1847 Poor Relief Ordinance. The effect of enclosures was smaller, but nonetheless considerable. The parish poor fund also functioned as a local credit institution mainly supporting freeholders, suggesting a link between agricultural development and access to capital and social welfare. This dual role highlights the relationship between economic change, social norms, and institutional practices in 19th-century rural Sweden. The findings contribute to the understanding of how national reforms and local agricultural restructuring shaped the welfare and credit system at the parish level during a period of rural transformation. (Less)
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author
Folkesson, Emilia LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS12 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
poor relief, enclosures, rural credit markets, 19th-century Sweden
language
English
id
9192844
date added to LUP
2025-08-25 08:39:16
date last changed
2025-08-25 08:39:16
@misc{9192844,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the development of poor relief in rural Sweden through a case study of Fränninge parish from 1799 to 1865, a period marked by agricultural enclosures and legal reforms. Using detailed parish poor fund accounts, the study traces changes in welfare provision in a period of socioeconomic transformation and population growth. The analysis reveals a significant expansion of poor relief, especially following the 1847 Poor Relief Ordinance. The effect of enclosures was smaller, but nonetheless considerable. The parish poor fund also functioned as a local credit institution mainly supporting freeholders, suggesting a link between agricultural development and access to capital and social welfare. This dual role highlights the relationship between economic change, social norms, and institutional practices in 19th-century rural Sweden. The findings contribute to the understanding of how national reforms and local agricultural restructuring shaped the welfare and credit system at the parish level during a period of rural transformation.}},
  author       = {{Folkesson, Emilia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Parish and the Pauper: Poor Relief in Rural Sweden 1799-1865}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}