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Cover image for book Poverty Archaeology

Poverty Archaeology

Architecture, Material Culture and the Workhouse under the New Poor Law
By:Charlotte Newman; Katherine Fennelly
Publisher:Berghahn Books, Inc.
Print ISBN:9781805391098
eText ISBN:9781805391104
Edition:1
Format:Page Fidelity

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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.