Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London
London in the eighteenth century was the greatest city in the world, and a magnet that drew men and women from the rest of England in huge numbers. If for a few the streets were paved with gold, for the majority it was a harsh world with little guarantee of money or food. For the poor and destitute, London's streets offered little more than the barest living. Yet men, women and children found a great variety of ways to eke out their existence, sweeping roads, selling matches, singing ballads and performing all sorts of menial labour. Many of these activities, apart from the direct begging of the disabled, depended on an appeal to charity, but one often mixed with threats and promises. Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London provides a remarkable insight into the lives of Londoners, for all of whom the demands of charity and begging were part of their everyday world.
1006370940
Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London
London in the eighteenth century was the greatest city in the world, and a magnet that drew men and women from the rest of England in huge numbers. If for a few the streets were paved with gold, for the majority it was a harsh world with little guarantee of money or food. For the poor and destitute, London's streets offered little more than the barest living. Yet men, women and children found a great variety of ways to eke out their existence, sweeping roads, selling matches, singing ballads and performing all sorts of menial labour. Many of these activities, apart from the direct begging of the disabled, depended on an appeal to charity, but one often mixed with threats and promises. Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London provides a remarkable insight into the lives of Londoners, for all of whom the demands of charity and begging were part of their everyday world.
44.95 In Stock
Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London

Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London

by Tim Hitchcock
Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London

Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London

by Tim Hitchcock

Paperback(Revised ed.)

$44.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

London in the eighteenth century was the greatest city in the world, and a magnet that drew men and women from the rest of England in huge numbers. If for a few the streets were paved with gold, for the majority it was a harsh world with little guarantee of money or food. For the poor and destitute, London's streets offered little more than the barest living. Yet men, women and children found a great variety of ways to eke out their existence, sweeping roads, selling matches, singing ballads and performing all sorts of menial labour. Many of these activities, apart from the direct begging of the disabled, depended on an appeal to charity, but one often mixed with threats and promises. Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London provides a remarkable insight into the lives of Londoners, for all of whom the demands of charity and begging were part of their everyday world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781852855529
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 07/01/2007
Edition description: Revised ed.
Pages: 360
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Tim Hitchcock is Professor of Eighteenth-Century History at the University of Hertfordshire and Director of the Old Bailey project.

Table of Contents

IllustrationsAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction1 The Streets of London2 Sleeping Rough3 Pauper Professions4 Menaces and Promises5 The Rhetoric of Rags6 Begging from the Parish7 Charity in Stone8 The Begging Year9 A Beggar's Mask10 The History of the PoorNotesBibliographyIndex

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews