Almshouse Project

Now in book preparation stage

Introduction

An almshouse is an endowed institution providing residential support for the (usually elderly) poor. Despite some interest from medieval historians, the almshouse as a component of overall provision for the poor has been sadly neglected by historians of both early modern and modern Britain. The aim of this project is to map the historical geography of almshouse provision in England, Wales and Scotland from 1500 to 1914, to establish what numbers and categories of people they provided for, and under what administrative arrangements and rules they were run. We are also interested in the context of provision for the elderly poor, particularly the relative contributions made by outdoor relief, workhouses and almshouses. Information is being collected until the end of 2007 and will be stored on a database for further analysis. This project is sponsored by the Family and Community Historical Research Society (FACHRS) and the Local Population Studies Society (LPSS), and supported by a grant from the Economic History Society. The project is directed by Professor Nigel Goose, of the University of Hertfordshire, and coordinated by Anne Langley, a local historian. The project is already attracting the interest of academics and those involved with almshouses today.

Research

We have over sixty researchers working on almshouses throughout the British Isles but would welcome more help, particularly in East Suffolk, Lancashire and London. Anyone interested in contributing to the research, and who is familiar with using sources in a Record Office, is invited to contact the coordinator (see details at the end). We are working with sources ranging from old manuscripts and maps through censuses and trade directories to databases and the internet. We are also looking for pictures of almshouses, and making a photographic survey of surviving almshouse buildings.

The contact email address for the project is

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