A Pauper's History of England: 1,000 Years of Peasants, Beggars & Guttersnipes

by Peter Stubley

A unique tour through British history--from the perspective of the peasants and the poverty-stricken.

The past is traditionally told from the viewpoint of kings and queens, politicians and pioneers. But what about the people struggling to survive at the very lowest levels of society?

A Pauper's History of England covers a thousand years of poverty, from Domesday right up to the twentieth century, via the Black Death and the English Civil War. It paints a portrait of what life was like for the peasants, paupers, beggars, and working poor as England developed from a feudal society into a wealthy superpower.

Experience the past from a different

Tour the England of the Domesday Book
Make a solemn Franciscan vow of poverty
Join the Peasants' Revolt of 1381
Converse with Elizabethan beggars and learn their secret language
Meet the inmates of Bedlam Hospital and Bridewell Prison
Enjoy a gin-soaked Georgian night of debauchery
Spend the night in a workhouse
Go slumming in Victorian London, and more!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2015

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pauper’s History of England – A View from the Gutter

Anyone that has studied English History knows that over the years most of the texts on the subject are from the upper echelons of society. There are so many books about the Kings and Queens the masters and mistresses of England, those who ruled and quite often abused those below them. We have histories of our churches and the ministry they gave to the deserving poor.

Peter Stubley has like some historians before him have decided to take a look up from the gutter and his book A Pauper’s History of England, 1000 Years of Peasants, Beggars & Guttersnipes. This is a wonderful view from the bottom of the pile looking up at their Lordships, this is a book that looks at all those the history books forgot or simply avoided.

This is really is history from a different perspective and oh what an interesting perspective it is as the history starts from the Doomsday Book in 1886, taking in a monks vow of poverty, something easily achieved at that time. A look at the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and the brutal suppression of the revolt and this was the first time a Poll Tax was introduced in to the country. A thousand years later when a Government tried to introduce a Poll Tax once again, the peasants revolted again, and helped to get rid of Margaret Thatcher.

In the chapter that covers The Counterfeit Crank we are introduced to an idle beggar who was notorious of his time, Nicholas Genings. We also learn quite a lot of the slang language of the time which was rather interesting and at times a little eye opening. It was also interesting to learn that Queen Elizabeth I also licensed genuine beggars across the whole of England. Not the system she set up actually worked.

With a trip to Bedlam, in which we see the patients of Britain’s first public asylum, or to give it the correct name Bethlehem Hospital and we see the description of it. It is hard to believe on the descriptions on the beauty of the building the chaos that reigned within its walls. The descriptions of the cacophony of noise that would hit you on entering the hospital, you soon see how the Hospital gained the moniker of Bedlam, a word now in common usage today.

Peter Stubley has researched and written a wonderful history book that really draws you in and think there by the grace of God I live today rather than then. Well written and illustrated throughout this book is of great interest to all readers and especially those that want to know more about the poor of England and how they were dealt with in history.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this was not a 1,000 years of history! Second, the author jumped a lot from topic to topic. There was a lot of good information but I think it could have been better organized.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, informative book written in an engaging manner. It addresses workhouses, street orphans, Bedlam, and foundlings, among many other topics as they relate to the poor. Highly recommended.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Deedee]

Dewey 305.569

[Christopher Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dive into the crappy life of Victorian England.

[Vik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting way to write a history book. It's essentially written like a reporter or an average person is reporting the events they see as they happen in each period of time covered (Domesday Book to Victoria ). It's like you're there and watching. I particularly enjoyed the Peasants' Revolt. Unfortunately I'm not much interested in most of what happenened after about 1700.

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book. The writer writes in a way that you could imagine that you were one of the wretcheds, living in hardship from time to time, talking with other paupers.