come upon the parish

English

Etymology

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Phrase

come upon the parish

1. (dated) To have one's living supported by charity from a parish.

   Synonym: come upon the town

   • 1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Volume 1, 1809, Mundell, Doig, and Stevenson, page 187,

     They generally, therefore, choose to come upon the parish.

   • 1831, Francis Place, An Essay on the State of the Country, Innes, page 9:

     The business of tradesmen and manufacturers must therefore fall off; and they, too, will discharge servants and working people: many of these must come upon the parish, for it will be impossible for them to procure employment, and the poor-rate will increase as the ability to pay it decreases.

   • 1886, Francis Charles Montague, The Old Poor-Law and the New Socialism, Cassell & Company, page 21:

     Two families alone received £92 4s. out of the rates in one year; and the wives of independent labourers very naturally regretted that their husbands had not come upon the parish. Those who came upon the parish were spoiled. They contracted the bad habit of idleness […] .