Almshouses, Old Age and the Welfare State in Modern Britain

This article examines the transformation of two English Midlands almshouse organisations from the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth century. Taking an understudied institution for the older poor, this article addresses the ‘softer’ side of what historians have referred to as Britain’s ‘carceral archipelago’ in a period when older people were increasingly unlikely to support themselves or rely on community or familial networks. Focusing on the Bournville Almshouse Trust and the Lench’s Trust enables the article to explore who was living in these almshouses and how they navigated the power and space within the institution. Placing genealogical records in conversation with institutional archives utilises both the possibilities of online genealogical databases and attends to the weakness of such material by following ‘inmates’ beyond the boundaries enforced by census, marriage and death records. This enables the article to probe the ways in which almshouse residents helped shape the changing definition of what old age meant as the welfare state emerged, understanding how and why almshouses responded to the demands of an ageing population and growing welfare state.