Poverty Archaeology: Architecture, Material Culture and the Workhouse Under the New Poor Law

The Poor Laws in the United Kingdom left a built and material legacy of over two centuries of legislative provision for the poor and infirm. Workhouses represent the first centralized, state-organized system for welfare, though they maintain a notorious historical reputation. Workhouses were intended to be specialized institutions, with dedicated subdivisions for the management of different categories of inmate. Examining the workhouse provision from an archaeological perspective, the authors demonstrate the heterogeneity of the Poor Law system from a built heritage perspective. This volume forms a social archaeology of the lived experience of poverty and health in the nineteenth century.

Author: Charlotte Newman, Katherine Fennelly
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 10/13/2023
Pages: 174
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781805391098

About the Author

Charlotte Newman is a House and Collections Manager at the National Trust, based in Cornwall, UK. She has a BA from the University of Leicester and an MA and PhD from the University of York. She has previously worked for English Heritage as a curator (2011-2019). She has published on archaeological and material approaches to institutions and interiors.