Realise this, Paul, but the population of the Isle of Skye is rather sparse, isn't it. It was less a question of the poverty, more of the numbers, that surprised me. While I agree that there was plenty of work in London, this doesn't take into account one parent families, men who deserted their "wives", leaving several children with virtually no support except what a worn out woman could supply. When she finally died, they were not only without support but also in a very poor condition. A number of London's hospitals began life as workhouse infirmaries. One of my great uncles spent his life in and out of one of these, finally discharged into apprenticeship at the age of 18, although the workhouse's records weren't too good and had him down as 15. He probably looked like a 15 year old due to starvation in early childhood. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Prescott" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 9:07 AM Subject: Re: [OEL] missing baptisms > Audrey: > >> I have always found that amazing as I can't imagine so many paupers >> being produced by such a rural place as the Isle of Skye. > > It's a common misconception that the poor were in the towns. I think this > derives from all the stories from Victorian times (Charles Dickens, etc) > about how hideous the towns were (which they were by today's standards). > > But at the time of the industrial revolution people flocked from the > countryside to the towns. Why? Because they were better off. The > countryside wasn't idyllic; it was a place of seasonal work and low wages, > particularly after enclosure in England. For all the Satanic mills and > dangerous coalmines, people in the towns had regular work, 52 weeks a > year, at wages far above those in the countryside. > > Best wishes > > Paul Prescott > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > OLD-ENGLISH Web Page > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.7/409 - Release Date: 04/08/2006 > >