poor rates
Noun: A local tax levied in historical England and Wales to fund relief and support for the impoverished within a parish or community. This tax was a key mechanism of the Elizabethan Poor Law system.
The term "poor rates" is used historically to refer to a specific, compulsory property tax. It is typically used in discussions of historical economics, social policy, or British history. - The parish council met to set the poor rates for the coming year. - The burden of the poor rates fell heavily on local landowners. - Historians study the poor rates to understand poverty management in the 17th century.
- To levy poor rates: The formal act of imposing this tax.
- The vestry had the authority to levy poor rates on all occupiers of property.
- Poor rate assessment: The process of evaluating property value to determine the tax amount.
- The fairness of the poor rate assessment was often disputed.
- Poor rate (singular noun): Can be used interchangeably with "poor rates" to refer to the tax system or a specific instance of it.
- The poor rate was collected quarterly.
- Ratepayer: A person liable to pay the poor rates or similar local taxes.
- Parish rate: Another historical term for a local tax, often overlapping with the purpose of poor rates.
- Poor relief tax: A more descriptive synonym emphasizing its purpose.
The word "poor" has many meanings, but in the compound historical term "poor rates," it functions specifically as an adjective modifying "rates" to indicate the tax's purpose (for the poor). The core term explained here is the compound noun "poor rates."
No common modern idioms incorporate the historical term "poor rates." It is a fixed historical compound noun.
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a local tax for the relief of the poor
