Burslem: The development of statutory bodies and their interactions with local institutions, 1850 - 1910

Abstract

The years 1850 to 1910 cover the period when a number of statutory bodies were established to carry out Acts of Parliament which had been passed to improve the condition of the people. This thesis examines the background to the establishment of such bodies in Burslem as the Local Board of Health in response to the Public Health Act 1848; the School Board in 1874 after the Education Act of 1870; the Education Committee after the 1902 Education Act; the Board of Guardians in 1838 as a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act; outside bodies that were also involved were the School Inspectorate and the Factory Inspectorate, the latter to enforce the 1864 Factory Acts Amendment Act, the operation of which was not put in the hands of local people. The problems faced by the elected bodies and how they coped with the situation are also examined, as is the composition of the membership. The period 1850 to 1910 saw the only time when Burslem had an effective local government of its own.
The major local institutions were those of the Church and the Chapel. The religious institutions were well organised and the state of the established church, of non-conformism and Roman Catholicism is examined as are the relationships between the religious groups and the conflicts that arose between them, that were extended to the field of education in particular. In other fields the role of bodies such as the friendly societies and trade unions is seen in the context of their relationship with the statutory bodies.
In conclusion it can be seen that the primary moves for the changes came from Parliament, but once the framework had been established the local people responded with varying degrees of enthusiasm and considered ways of extending the powers that they had been provided with in the appropriate Act. Opposition to the creation of such statutory bodies was very slight.