Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597^[1]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Acte for erecting of Hospitalles or abiding and working Howses for the Poore.[2][3]
Citation	39 Eliz. 1. c. 5
Dates
Royal assent	9 February 1598
Other legislation
Amended by	Hospitals Act 1623
Repealed by	Charities Act 1960
Status: Repealed

Hospitals Act 1623
Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for the reviving and making perpetual of one act made in the nine and thirtieth year of the late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, "An Act for erecting of hospitals, and abiding and working houses for the poor."
Citation	21 Jas. 1. c. 1
Dates
Royal assent	29 May 1624
Other legislation
Amends	Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1948
Status: Repealed

The Hospitals for the Poor Act 1597 (39 Eliz. 1. c. 5) was an Act of the Parliament of England. It was enacted during the reign of Elizabeth I and remained in force until the 20th century.

The Disabled Soldiers Act 1592 had permitted the bequest of lands and buildings to establish "houses of correction or abiding-houses" for the poor or for maimed soldiers, but as it had not been legally possible to establish a hospital without a specific royal grant, that Act had had limited effect. As such, the 1597 Act was enacted, allowing any person wishing to establish a foundation to create it by deed at the High Court of Chancery; such foundations would be permanent. However, a minimum endowment was required, sufficient to produce an income of £10 per annum. This Act was initially to apply for twenty years. But it was later revived and made perpetual by the Hospitals Act 1623 (21 Jas. 1. c. 1), and then remained in force until the whole Act was repealed by the Charities Act 1960 (section 39(1) and Schedule 5).

• Select statutes and other constitutional documents illustrative of the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, ed. by G. W. Prothero. Oxford University Press, 1913. Fourth edition.
• Chronological table of the statutes; HMSO, London. 1993.

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