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No Fixed Abode

A History of Responses to the Roofless and the Rootless in Britain

  • Book
  • © 1999

Overview

Authors:
  1. Robert Humphreys

    1. Department of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
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  2. Introduction

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 1-15

  3. Early Vagrancy Legislation

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 16-30

  4. Tudor Response to the Travelling Poor

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 31-55

  5. The Travelling Poor in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 56-77

  6. Victorian Attitudes

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 78-112

  7. Vagrancy around the World Wars

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 113-136

  8. Homelessness and the Welfare State

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 137-166

  9. Conclusion

    • Robert Humphreys
    Pages 167-180

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 181-222
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Keywords

About this book

Homelessness is now a much greater problem than twenty years ago. In Britain today around half-a-million homeless people form a regrettable permanent 'underclass'. This book spells out their similarities with the spurned vagrant of bygone days. It traces how for centuries emergent laws have combated alleged threats from unruly vagrants while largely ignoring causal factors like economic fluctuation, bad harvests, disease and war. It is argued that only educational and social reform will alleviate the homeless plight.

Reviews

'Humphreys' survey can be recommended as a comprehensive modern summary of long-term national responses to vagrancy.' - Pamela Horn, The Local Historian

'Humphreys is to be congratulated for attempting this overview. It (No Fixed Abode) should be required reading for policy makers and a copy ought to be sent post haste to the Social Exclusion Unit of the Cabinet Office'. - Dr A.J. Kidd, Economic History Review

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

    Robert Humphreys

About the author

ROBERT HUMPHREYS trained first as an engineer, prior to a wide-ranging career including applied research, university lecturing, consultancy and senior management in the private sector. He now teaches in the Department of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Dr Humphreys is the author of Sin, Organised Charity and the Poor Law in Victorian England.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: No Fixed Abode

  • Book Subtitle: A History of Responses to the Roofless and the Rootless in Britain

  • Authors: Robert Humphreys

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230510869

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London

  • eBook Packages: Palgrave History Collection, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Robert Humphreys 1999

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-333-73846-7Published: 02 August 1999

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-40905-1Published: 01 January 1999

  • eBook ISBN: 978-0-230-51086-9Published: 02 August 1999

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 222

  • Topics: Historiography and Method, Social Care, Social History, Social Structure, Social Inequality

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