Voices from the far north: pauper letters and the provision of welfare in Sutherland, 1845–1900

Jones, P. and King, S. (2016) Voices from the far north: pauper letters and the provision of welfare in Sutherland, 1845–1900. Journal of British Studies, 55(1), pp. 76-98. (doi: 10.1017/jbr.2015.177)

Abstract

This article explores the changing relationship between paupers and the parish authorities in Tongue, in the far north of Scotland, between the passing of the Scottish New Poor Law in 1845 and the end of the nineteenth century. It does so by focusing on Scottish pauper letters and petitions for relief. Such sources, though relatively abundant in the archives, have so far been ignored by welfare historians. The article begins with a discussion of the trials of Tongue's poor crofting community in the early years of the century, the impact of widespread land clearance, and the dislocation of long-established communities. Following on from this, through a close reading of pauper appeals alongside other official sources the authors demonstrate that, despite persistent hardship and inadequate resources, the relationship between paupers and the parish authorities changed markedly over the period. An attitude of supplication and entreaty, rooted in Highland traditions of deference and reflective of a rigid social hierarchy, gave way to a clear sense of entitlement and an expectation that paupers' appeals would—indeed, must—be heard toward the end of the century. This fundamental shift mirrored, and was profoundly influenced by, wider agitation among crofting communities for change.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Jones, Dr Peter
• Authors: Jones, P., and King, S.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Journal of British Studies
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISSN: 0021-9371
• ISSN (Online): 1545-6986
• Published Online: 04 January 2016