The Old Poor Law in Scotland

Based entirely on research from primary sources, this book describes the development of the Scottish Poor Law as an instrument for the preservation of the old and destitute and, partially, as a protection against famine. It shows the effect of the Poor Law of the later Eighteenth Century agrarian reorganisation, the industrial revolution, Scottish urban development and the evangelical revival. This remarkably comprehensive investigation contains many revelations about the nature of Scottish social life over three centuries.