[SarahBell]

Was something on radio about someone's new book about the history of the poor... Can't remember what the book was though.

Up to 1834 the poor were treated quite well. Money raised locally was given to them. Orphans, the elderly and single parents were well looked after.

Laws changed in 1834 - perhaps because of a rise in the numbers of unemployed looking for help.


Someone's shared this link elsewhere:


http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Oldham/


A parliamentary report of 1777 records workhouses in operation in Oldham (for up to 60 inmates), Middleton (40) and Chedderton [Chadderton] (3).

Without knowing population numbers for that year it's impossible to know %

Mr Howlett, Vicar of Dunmow, in Essex, estimated the population in 1780 at 8,691,000


Would poorhouses save the govt money these days?

This post has been edited by SarahBell: 26 February 2012 - 01:04 PM

[RufflesTheGuineaPig]

SarahBell, on 26 February 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:

Was something on radio about someone's new book about the history of the poor... Can't remember what the book was though.

Up to 1834 the poor were treated quite well. Money raised locally was given to them. Orphans, the elderly and single parents were well looked after.

Laws changed in 1834 - perhaps because of a rise in the numbers of unemployed looking for help.


Someone's shared this link elsewhere:


http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Oldham/


A parliamentary report of 1777 records workhouses in operation in Oldham (for up to 60 inmates), Middleton (40) and Chedderton [Chadderton] (3).

Without knowing population numbers for that year it's impossible to know %

Mr Howlett, Vicar of Dunmow, in Essex, estimated the population in 1780 at 8,691,000


Would poorhouses save the govt money these days?

Workhouses wont work as there aren't really many manual labour manufacturing jobs these days.... it's mostly mechanised and the stuff that isn't is done in china where land is cheaper.

[Gone baby gone]

SarahBell, on 26 February 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:

Would poorhouses save the govt money these days?

Ever thought of a career in the Conservative party?

[Hectors House]

What, on 26 February 2012 - 02:37 PM, said:

Ever thought of a career in the Conservative party?

Shes totally bonkers!

[out2lunch]

The book may have been The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists, a novel by Robert Tressell

[mon-keyhanger]

MrTReturns, on 26 February 2012 - 02:42 PM, said:

The book may have been The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists, a novel by Robert Tressell

someone's new book

Not exactly a NEW book he died in 1911. Published a few years after that.

[witsended]

Poverty ... is a most necessary and indispensable ingredient in society, without which nations and communities could not exist in a state of civilisation. It is the lot of man – it is the source of wealth, since without poverty there would be no labour, and without labour there could be no riches, no refinement, no comfort, and no benefit to those who may be possessed of wealth

[Stret]

witsended, on 26 February 2012 - 02:58 PM, said:

Poverty ... is a most necessary and indispensable ingredient in society, without which nations and communities could not exist in a state of civilisation. It is the lot of man – it is the source of wealth, since without poverty there would be no labour, and without labour there could be no riches, no refinement, no comfort, and no benefit to those who may be possessed of wealth

Ah yes, Patrick Colqhoun, inherited a pile of money and then added to it by buying into slave plantations in the U.S.

I'm sure he's just the sort of chap who'd fit right into the modern economy.

[Democorruptcy]

SarahBell, on 26 February 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:

Would poorhouses save the govt money these days?

We will have them soon in the form of dormitories at Tesco and other supermarkets.

[SarahBell]

Hectors House, on 26 February 2012 - 02:39 PM, said:

Shes totally bonkers!

98% bonkers thank you very much.

[Gone baby gone]

Hectors House, on 26 February 2012 - 02:39 PM, said:

Shes totally bonkers!

Exactomundo!

[Democorruptcy]

SarahBell, on 26 February 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

98% bonkers thank you very much.

That 2% makes all the difference. It means you know you have an issue but it's not too late to do something about it. If you had just said "I'm not" we would be worried about the denial.

I was down to 89% but have slipped back up to 97% I've noticed it always goes up when I spend too much time on here.

[SarahBell]

Democorruptcy, on 26 February 2012 - 03:50 PM, said:

That 2% makes all the difference. It means you know you have an issue but it's not too late to do something about it. If you had just said "I'm not" we would be worried about the denial.

I was down to 89% but have slipped back up to 97% I've noticed it always goes up when I spend too much time on here.

A friend mentioned that I may be a little delusional, I was so surprised I nearly fell off my unicorn.

[Democorruptcy]

SarahBell, on 26 February 2012 - 04:03 PM, said:

A friend mentioned that I may be a little delusional, I was so surprised I nearly fell off my unicorn.

My minds boggling now. I think I've gone up to 99%

[witsended]

bulltraderpt, on 26 February 2012 - 03:57 PM, said:

Agreed, however and there is always a however, what if work was done for the good of the community?

I think some people need to learn a little social history.It is only just 60 years ago the last of these types of hell holes were abolished or shut down for good, though many of the unfortunates held there were just transferred into the large mental or learning difficulties hospitals . I had the privilage to talk to and listen to the stories of some of these people as a young man. It showed me how thin the veneer of civilization is in this country.
We wring our hands at the plight of orphans or others trapped in former Eastern Europe institutions ,often blaming the staff for their inhumanity.
But the same was going on here till twenty odd years ago covered up at the time and since by the destuction of most of the records on the grounds of privacy.