Poverty and social welfare in eighteenth-century Spain: the Casa de Misericordia in Murcia (1700-1759)

Abstract

Population growth in the eighteenth centre resulted in the appearance of large numbers of «vagrants and beggars» which the productive system was unable to absorb. Using as a main source the Minutes (Actas Capitulares) of the Murcia City Council, the authors examine the solutions that were applied to the situation, which are long way from the ideas on public health developed during the second half of the eighteenth century. The most notable response to the problem is the creation of institutions with a clearly «charitable» mentality. These are founded to ensure that, by. shutting them away, these socially-marginalized groups will cause the least nuisance possible, but they do however also provide clothing, health care arid even, on ocassions, training and work. As is to be expected in a period of transition, these measures were taken jointly by civil government and the church, with religious ideas eclipsing incipient mercantilist ideas.