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What is "guardians of the poor"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Guardians of the poor

Guardian \Guard"i*an\, n. [OF. guardain, gardien, F. gardien, LL. guardianus. See Guard, v. t., and cf. Wasden.]

  1. One who guards, preserves, or secures; one to whom any person or thing is committed for protection, security, or preservation from injury; a warden.

  2. (Law) One who has, or is entitled to, the custody of the person or property of an infant, a minor without living parents, or a person incapable of managing his own affairs.

    Of the several species of guardians, the first are guardians by nature. -- viz., the father and (in some cases) the mother of the child.
    --Blackstone.

    Guardian ad litem(Law), a guardian appointed by a court of justice to conduct a particular suit.

    Guardians of the poor, the members of a board appointed or elected to care for the relief of the poor within a township, or district.