Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; Acknowledgements; Preface; A Note on Monetary Values and Poor Law Administration; Chapter 1: The World of the Workhouse; Chapter 2: The Life Behind Doors; Chapter 3: Working for the Workhouse; Chapter 4: 'Fit for purpose' -- the Able-bodied Poor; Chapter 5: Suffer the Children ... ; Chapter 6: The Sick and Aged; Chapter 7: Casuals in the Workhouse; Appendix I: Workhouse Museums; Appendix II: Using Workhouse Records; Bibliography; Index
Summary
The stories of those who lived in the shadow of the workhouse' During the nineteenth century the workhouse cast a shadow over the lives of the poor. The destitute and the desperate sought refuge within its forbidding walls. And it was an ever-present threat if poor families failed to look after themselves properly. As a result a grim mythology has grown up about the horrors of the 'house' and the mistreatment meted out to the innocent pauper. In this fully-updated and revised edition of his bestselling book, Simon Fowler takes a fresh look at the workhouse and the people who sought help from i