The main emphasis of mid-eighteenth century reformers was upon better administration to be achieved through the increase in size of the Poor Law unit. A new wave of interest in this line of progress was manifest during the 'eighties. The famous Shrewsbury House of Industry was established in 1783, “to furnish employment for the poor and compel them to earn their own support”. The success achieved at Shrewsbury during the first few years was widely advertised and the mode of organisation copied by other places.

Simultaneously with the renewed interest in administrative reforms there was developing a more humane attitude towards the poor, manifesting itself officially in the legislation of 1782. “The England of 1760–1830”, says Mr Fay, “was definitely not what it is often assumed to have been. It was definitely not soft-hearted, and it took little heed of the needs of those who, because they were physically weak, had no power to create a disturbance.” There is undoubtedly truth in this assertion: the shadow of war and scarcity influenced the attitude of authority; nevertheless it is impossible to peruse, for example, the voluminous interparochial correspondence of this period—arising especially over questions of settlement—without recognising a more frequent note of spontaneous kindliness than in the early part of the century.