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I haven't but thought I did when I found an ancestor with a similar name. Apparently he was in a poorhouse along with his wife, and 3 children, all under the age of 10. It was around 1880, can't tell if they were still there in 1890 because no census for then. I decided to follow them, found they did "escape" in 1910, the then elderly parents living with their older sons who escaped the poorhouse fate. This all took place in PA, I forget the name of the poorhouse, a smaller one for the area.
No wonder my grandparents were so frugal, and so insistent on paying bills on time, NO credit. They saw the poorhouse era, and lived through the Depression. Back then, they eperimented with systems of outside relief (no, that's NOT a porta potty!--it meant relief for the poor while they continued to live independently), and also systems of institutionalized relief. Perhaps if we had a poorhouse system today people would not be so free to buy on credit
Back then, people were ashamed of poverty, considered it a sign of moral weakness and character failure, nowadays seems people brag about it
Thankfully my family never had to be residents of them, but "poor houses" and "poor farms" were common here in AR until the 1940s, I think. The farms were supported by the county and the houses by the city/community and they were replaced by the current "welfare" system supported by the state. I have seen documents where the "managers" submitted bills for their expense's, and from the amount of the bills there could not have been any "padding" of the bills.
Yes, in Cornwall in the U.K. He was a cousin of my Grt-grandfather, who went to visit him in the poor house when he made his one and only trip back to Cornwall to meet his father's family, whom he had never met.
I think there was another one (or two) who also went to the poor house, but were able to leave...however, I'm not sure about that and am too lazy at the moment to look it up.
Thankfully my family never had to be residents of them, but "poor houses" and "poor farms" were common here in AR until the 1940s, I think. The farms were supported by the county and the houses by the city/community and they were replaced by the current "welfare" system supported by the state. I have seen documents where the "managers" submitted bills for their expense's, and from the amount of the bills there could not have been any "padding" of the bills.
I lived in New York State in the 1940s and 50s, and there was a "County Home" where the indigent aged ended up when their relatives couldn't or wouldn't support them.
Perhaps if we had a poorhouse system today people would not be so free to buy on credit
Back then, people were ashamed of poverty, considered it a sign of moral weakness and character failure, nowadays seems people brag about it
Yes, I think I may have had some sidelines that had to go to the workhouse in England. I don't agree with your take on morality though. There will always be people who are down on their luck or don't have the intellect or have health problems so there will always be poverty. Mine (if they were mine) were sent to the workhouse when the parents died and left them as orphans. That's what happened in those days in England. There were no safety nets like there are today.
People shouldn't be ashamed to be poor. There can still be dignity and love and often, hope. Probably the people you are referring to who abuse credit cards are the ones we all hear about--those on the fringes who abuse the system. I think anyone would agree that they don't deserve help but to condemn everyone who is poor is just plain wrong and unfair.
Perhaps if we had a poorhouse system today people would not be so free to buy on credit
Back then, people were ashamed of poverty, considered it a sign of moral weakness and character failure, nowadays seems people brag about it
Yes, I think I may have had some sidelines that had to go to the workhouse in England. I don't agree with your take on morality though. There will always be people who are down on their luck or don't have the intellect or have health problems so there will always be poverty. Mine (if they were mine) were sent to the workhouse when the parents died and left them as orphans. That's what happened in those days in England. There were no safety nets like there are today.
People shouldn't be ashamed to be poor. There can still be dignity and love and often, hope. Probably the people you are referring to who abuse credit cards are the ones we all hear about--those on the fringes who abuse the system. I think anyone would agree that they don't deserve help but to condemn everyone who is poor is just plain wrong and unfair.
Whooaaa....there...I didn't condemn everyone who is poor. I pointed out that "back then" the genral attitude was that being poor was a personal failing. Don't misquote me!
In doing my research, found my g-grandfather "adopted" a little girl. that's what the census said---adopted, although she kept her own name. the name doesn't occur in any of our family. the child was only 6. G-grandpa certainly didn't need any more kids, he had 12 of his own, numerous grandchildren, and 2 adult daughters and their husbands and children living with him at the time. But still, he took her in. i did some more research, and found her parents were in the "poorhouse" and used to lve near g-grandpa. Seems he took her in until the family got on their feet. He wasn't buying himself a servant, either. the child went to school, and, from what I can determine, went to the local Sunday School, won a prize for perfect atendance. The following census, the family dropped off the surface. The family was no longer in the poorhouse, the child no longer with g-grandpa. lets hope they went on to a better future.
Whooaaa....there...I didn't condemn everyone who is poor. I pointed out that "back then" the genral attitude was that being poor was a personal failing. Don't misquote me!
In doing my research, found my g-grandfather "adopted" a little girl. that's what the census said---adopted, although she kept her own name. the name doesn't occur in any of our family. the child was only 6. G-grandpa certainly didn't need any more kids, he had 12 of his own, numerous grandchildren, and 2 adult daughters and their husbands and children living with him at the time. But still, he took her in. i did some more research, and found her parents were in the "poorhouse" and used to lve near g-grandpa. Seems he took her in until the family got on their feet. He wasn't buying himself a servant, either. the child went to school, and, from what I can determine, went to the local Sunday School, won a prize for perfect atendance. The following census, the family dropped off the surface. The family was no longer in the poorhouse, the child no longer with g-grandpa. lets hope they went on to a better future.
Correction---it wasn't a poorhouse. The child's father was in prison, can't find her mother............
Perhaps if we had a poorhouse system today people would not be so free to buy on credit
Back then, people were ashamed of poverty, considered it a sign of moral weakness and character failure, nowadays seems people brag about it
Yes, I think I may have had some sidelines that had to go to the workhouse in England. I don't agree with your take on morality though. There will always be people who are down on their luck or don't have the intellect or have health problems so there will always be poverty. Mine (if they were mine) were sent to the workhouse when the parents died and left them as orphans. That's what happened in those days in England. There were no safety nets like there are today.
People shouldn't be ashamed to be poor. There can still be dignity and love and often, hope. Probably the people you are referring to who abuse credit cards are the ones we all hear about--those on the fringes who abuse the system. I think anyone would agree that they don't deserve help but to condemn everyone who is poor is just plain wrong and unfair.
I discovered my Great Grandmother was born in a workhouse, if a husband died the wife was most likely to be placed into the workhouse, other family members couldn't afford to keep them. Many young single girls who were pregnant were placed there also. They were dreadful places but it was a roof over their heads and some food in their bellies. My Great Grandmother was eventually able to find work and married a widower.
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