Behind the Poor Law records are real people whose lives were shaped by hardship, resilience and community support. This collection follows the experiences of villagers from Armitage and Handsacre while explaining the systems of parish relief, settlement, apprenticeship, charity and the workhouse that governed everyday life for more than two centuries.
Tag: Samson
The Rev. Edward Samson’s Almshouses
Before the welfare state, almshouses offered elderly people something that neither parish relief nor the workhouse could provide: a secure home of their own. Built in 1906 through the generosity of the Rev. Edward Samson, Armitage’s almshouses continue a tradition of compassionate care that has served the village for more than a century.