ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of magistrates on one of the most critical areas of local government, the English welfare system. It does this by employing a micro-political survey of Gloucestershire parishes who implemented one specific welfare reform, Gilbert’s Act 1782. It focuses on the interplay between parishes and particular local magistrates to illuminate the diverse impact justices had on welfare practice. This approach shows how the input of magistrates was highly variable and individualized. Magisterial intervention did not ensure strict compliance to statute, but rather application of relief reflected their ‘discretion’ in the implementation of the poor law, where they deigned to participate with it. By demonstrating magisterial influence was strategically and operationally applied, this article also suggests that the impact of justices was more pervasive than previously acknowledged and highlights the need for further research to reappraise understanding of the justices’ role in Georgian society.

中文翻译：

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“所有地方当局的来源”：1800-1834 年格洛斯特郡地方法官在地方政府中的作用

摘要 本文考察了地方法官对地方政府最关键的领域之一——英国福利制度的影响。它通过对实施一项特定福利改革的格洛斯特郡教区进行微观政治调查来做到这一点，即 1782 年吉尔伯特法案。它侧重于教区与特定地方法官之间的相互作用，以阐明法官对福利实践的不同影响。这种方法显示了地方法官的意见是如何高度可变和个性化的。地方法官的干预并没有确保严格遵守法规，而是救济的应用反映了他们在执行拙劣法律时的“自由裁量权”，他们屈尊参与其中。通过展示权威影响力在战略和操作上的应用，