Many family historians will come across direct links to ancestors who were
affected by poverty, generations or even centuries ago. Yet despite the
burgeoning interest in genealogy, the history of pauperism and of poor relief
has rarely been written about with the family historian in mind. No previous
work has provided a guide to documents and records, from medieval times to the
twentieth century, that researchers can use the trace their English pauper ancestors.
Social historian and family history expert Robert Burlinson, in this
accessible and informative introduction, gives a vivid account of poverty and
the poor. He describes how, over the centuries, private charities and public
institutions struggled to cope with an insoluble problem that shaped the lives
of millions of our predecessors. He identifies and discusses what records are
known to exist, indicates where they can be found, and offers essential advice
of how this information can be used to piece together the lives of distant and
not so distant relatives.
This practical guide to the sources, combined with a compelling account of
the history of pauperism, gives a fascinating insight into how individuals and
who families fell into poverty and how they copes with it.
Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Section 1. The Causes of Poverty
- 1. The Causes of Poverty in Pre-Industrial Britain
- 2. The Causes of Poverty in the Industrial Age
Section 2. The Responses to Poverty
- 3. Early State Intervention
- 4. Charity in Pre-Industrial Britain
- 5. Poor Laws in the Nineteenth Century
- 6. Charity and Self-Help in the Industrial Age
- 7. The Welfare State
- 8. Destitute Children - a Case Study
Section 3. Searching for Poor and Pauper Ancestors
- Appendix 1. Getting Started
- Appendix 2. The Records
- Appendix 3. Further Reading
- Appendix 4. Useful Websites
- Appendix 5. Notes and References
Index
