Poor Relief in Rottingdean and Surrounding Parishes c1800-1860

This talk, which is based largely on the thesis for Mary's recently awarded PhD, will discuss the impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment  Act on the poor in parishes in eastern Sussex. The legislation aimed to impose a cheaper, more uniform and significantly a more deterrent system of poor relief. Mary will compare the support people received prior to and following 1834, both outdoor relief and indoor support in a workhouse. She will discuss the considerable intra-regional variations in levels of poverty in eastern Sussex and the reasons for this. The talk will include profiles of local relief officials and case studies of individual relief recipients in Rottingdean.

Mary has been carrying out research into poverty in Sussex for several years. She completed a PhD on The impact of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act in Eastern Sussex in 2022 and has published an article on aspects of her research in Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol.155. She has also contributed a chapter to a book on Workhouse Officials and Visitors to be published in spring 2025. Her research interests include poverty in Tudor and Stuart England and she is currently involved in a project on the work of female guardians.