I was checking out The National Archives (UK) website when I noticed this announcement. It could be of interest as many of us have pauper ancestors!
This was from TNA’s website [ https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/book-on-victorian-poverty-wins-major-prize/ ]
A major new book on nineteenth century poverty co-authored between staff at The National Archives and Nottingham Trent University has won the North American Victorian Studies Association’s (NAVSA) prize for best book in the field published in 2022.
In Their Own Write: Contesting the New Poor Law, 1834–1900, by Steven King, Paul Carter, Natalie Carter, Peter Jones and Carol Beardmore, focusses on letters from English and Welsh paupers, the wider poor and their advocates, that are held at The National Archives in record series MH 12: Poor Law Union Correspondence. For the first time the history of nineteenth century English and Welsh poverty has been produced based on the testimony of the poor themselves.
Dr Paul Carter, Principal Records Specialist, Collaborative Projects, The National Archives said:
‘We are thrilled that our book has been recognised in this way and are honoured that the North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA) has chosen our volume as best book in field. This underpins the importance of archival records research in surfacing voices not usually heard. In most cases, history records the views of the political and economically powerful; but in this case we have the concerns, fears and demands of the poor laid bare giving us an exceptionally clear and rich understanding of what life was like for the poor in Victorian times.’
Read more at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/book-on-victorian-poverty-wins-major-prize/
The book can be ordered at all good booksellers as well as on-line at Amazon etc
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