The experience of poverty : people, policy, and agency in mid-nineteenth century Leeds and its environs
The methodology of narrative biographical reconstitution can give voice to the poor of past societies, allowing them to answer the questions we ask of them. This thesis examines the experiences of the northern urban labouring poor, in a period of industrialisation and unprecedented urban population growth and consolidation, from their own perspective, identifying and evaluating their constraints and agencies. Rapid urban growth was marked by particular age-group and gender demographics: migration was female led, girls and women sought work in textile mills. Women and their children's cheap compliant labour in an unregulated political economy drove industrialisation. Despite low wages, mill work permitted young women a limited independence from the male breadwinner model. But that model was merely aspirational, and families depended on children's incomes. Poverty was always near. One alleviation agency was application to township welfare mechanisms, both cash payments and other forms, notably medical relief. Because of large, sprawling incorporations of townships established under Gilbert's Act, local implementation of the New Poor Law was delayed into the 1860s. Consequently, relief was administered in the
Rawson, Graham
The experience of poverty : people, policy, and agency in mid-nineteenth century Leeds and its environs. The methodology of narrative biographical reconstitution can give voice to the poor of past societies, allowing them to answer the questions we ask of them. This thesis examines the experiences of the northern urban labouring poor, in a period of industrialisation and unprecedented urban population growth and consolidation, from their own perspective, identifying and evaluating their constraints and agencies. Rapid urban growth was marked by particular age-group and gender demographics: migration was female led, girls and women sought work in textile mills. Women and their children's cheap compliant labour in an unregulated political economy drove industrialisation. Despite low wages, mill work permitted young women a limited independence from the male breadwinner model. But that model was merely aspirational, and families depended on children's incomes. Poverty was always near. One alleviation agency was application to township welfare mechanisms, both cash payments and other forms, notably medical relief. Because of large, sprawling incorporations of townships established under Gilbert's Act, local implementation of the New Poor Law was delayed into the 1860s. Consequently, relief was administered in the
experience poverty people policy agency leeds environs narrative biographical reconstitution give_voice poor past_society allow answer_question ask them examines experience northern urban labour_poor period industrialisation unprecedented urban_population growth consolidation perspective identify evaluate constraint agency rapid urban_growth mark particular age_group gender demographic migration female lead girl_woman seek work textile mill women child cheap labour political_economy drive industrialisation despite low wage mill work permit young_woman limit independence male model model merely family depend child income poverty always near agency application township welfare mechanism cash payment form notably medical relief large incorporation township establish act local implementation new_poor law delay consequently relief administer