For the poor and the infirm : Poor relief in Norra Råda Parish between 1850 and 1905

This study focuses on the poor relief in Norra Råda parish in central Sweden, between the years of 1850 – 1905. The main questions of the study is: 1) What types of poor relief was practised? 2) What where the costs of poor relief, and how did they impact the economy of the Parish? 3) How, when and why where the decisions taken that led to the building of the poorhouse in Myra, Norra Råda? The aim is to contribute to better understanding of the poor relief in Norra Råda parish in the second half of the 19th century. The analysis is based on sources found in the Hagfors kommun town archive. The study combines a qualitative investigation of the source material with Abram de Swaans theories of collectivization processes and his criteria in the classification of poverty. The starting point for the study on the poor relief practices is that the costs starting point for the study on the poor relief practices is that the costs of poor relief for Norra Råda between 1850 and 1905 are the major expenses of the parish. The forms of poor relief practice in the Norra Råda parish are not unique and can be found in many other parts of Sweden during this time. They had also been practised for a for a long time. The study presents that the poor relief practices are resilient structures, that are not abandoned even in the face of sharply rising costs. Furthermore, the study looks into the reasons for the building of a large poorhouse in the parish in 1905