Lecture: The Work and Rebellions of Workhouse Chaplains

Abstract: In this talk Samantha brings to life the work of workhouse chaplains in the mid-nineteenth century. Chaplains were appointed in the majority of New Poor Law workhouses to provide religious instruction to inmates. They were also tasked to oversee the behaviour and moral conduct of all individuals connected to, and working within, the workhouse. The result was a complex set of tasks for the chaplain and, at times, tense relationships between them and others within the workhouse system. Rather than passively implement the harsh and punitive workhouse regime, chaplains could also be influential and unwavering advocates of inmates. ​

Speaker bio: Dr Samantha Shave is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Lincoln, UK. She is an expert in British welfare policies from 1750, in particular the poor laws and workhouses that incarcerated, punished, and deterred those in need of support. She shares her research widely in academic publications as well as print and broadcast media, at public talks and events, and through her teaching. She published Pauper Policies: Poor Law Practice in England, 1780-1850 (Manchester University Press) in 2017, and she has a forthcoming edited collection with Professor Steven King entitled Workhouse Lives: Staffing Institutions under the Old and New Poor Laws (McGill-Queen’s University Press).

Venue: unless otherwise stated, all talks start at 6.15pm, and will take place on the University of Lincoln’s Brayford Pool campus.

Branch membership: £20 per year for all talks. Talks free to national HA members, students, teachers and university staff. Visitors: £4.

Branch website: https://cityoflincolnbranchha.wordpress.com/ (Twitter: @cityoflincolnha)

Host or Publisher City of Lincoln Historical Association branch