Agricultural History Review, Volume 48 Part 2 (2000), pp. 151–170

This article surveys local provision for the homeless poor in England under the Old Poor Law, considering the effects of a mobile and growing population, and the shifting basis of village agriculture. It analyses the types of housing available and the legal framework for provision before focusing on the part played by housing owned by parishes and local charities. The paper argues that this played a significant role in supporting the poor over much of England. It uses two sources to estimate the scale of provision before the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act required parishes to sell their housing stock to pay for workhouses. 

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