1. The beginnings of the secular control of poor relief; 2. The causes of the reorganisation of poor relief; 3. 1514-69: poor relief in the towns; 4. 1514-69: the Privy Council and Parliament; 5. Review of the general characteristics of public poor relief, 1514-69; 6. 1569-97: Parliament and the Privy Council; 7. 1569-97: the measures of the towns and the events of the years 1594-7; 8. 1597-1644: Parliament and the Privy Council; 9. 1597-1644: the local machinery for administration; 10. Methods of relief, 1597-1644; 11. Methods of relief, 1597-1644 (continued); 12. 1597-1644: the administration of the poor law as a whole; 13. Poor relief in France, Scotland, and England during the civil war and commonwealth; 14. Conclusions; Appendix 1. Extracts from the Journals of the Common Council of London; Appendix 2. Extract from the census of the poor taken at Norwich recorded in the 'Maioris Bocke for the Pore'; Appendix 3. Extracts from the 'Orders for the poor' drawn up in Norwich, May 1571; Appendix 4. Report concerning scarcity from Norfolk, 1586; Appendix 5. Part of a draft of orders for remedying the scarcity of corn in 1596; Appendix 6. Accounts of the churchwardens and overseers of the parish of Steplgrove, co. Somerset, for the year 1599; Appendix 7. Orders made by the justices responsible for Aylesham and Reipham, c. Norfolk, 23rd October 1622; Appendix 8. Report of the justices from Lackford and the half hundred of Exning, February 7th 1622/3; Appendix 9. Extract from the Privy Council register. Copy of a letter sent to the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the counties of Suffolk and Essex concerning the employment of the poor; Appendix 10. Letter concerning the restoration of order and relief of the poor in Rutland; Appendix 11. Letter from Sir Thomas Barrington concerning the eight hundreds of Yorkshire; Appendix 12. Justices' reports on the execution of the Book of Orders of January 1630/1; Appendix 13. The division of monies collected for the poor January 1642/3 in Norwich; Appendix 14. Report of the four royal hospitals, 1645; Appendix 15. Ordinances of the Lords for putting in execution the laws for the relief of the poor.
