Poverty and Philanthropy in Victorian Richmond

Prosperous as Richmond may seem, there have always been pockets of poverty. Poverty and Philanthropy in Victorian Richmond by Simon Fowler, published in October 2017 and reprinted in 2023, looks at how ordinary people in difficulties were helped by the Poor Law and by the numerous charitable institutions in the town.

The book tells the story of Richmond’s workhouse, which was built by King George III in 1786, and the lives of the paupers who resided there. It also looks at the almshouses which have been helping small numbers of older people since 1600, and how charities tried to encourage habits of thrift and self-help among the working classes in the mid-19th century.

The book also describes the relief of poverty locally in the 18th century and the slow arrival, in the 20th century, of the welfare state.

Copies are now available from our online bookshop, postage-free in the UK, using the link below.

2017. Reprinted 2023. ISBN 978-1-912314-00-3

82 pages. Includes bibliography and index.

£6 (£5 for members)
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Poverty and Philanthropy in Victorian Richmond