DEPTH AND DIVERSITY IN PAROCHIAL HEALTHCARE: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 1750-1830

AbstractNotwithstanding interesting recent work, the nature of parochial healthcare under the Old Poor Law, particularly in its later years, remains very much under-researched. This article considers a sample of Northamptonshire parishes in order to investigate attitudes towards health care on the part of poor law officials between the mid-18th and early 19th centuries. It will be shown that long-term sickness could be matched by a long-term commitment to paying for diverse and innovative care for the sick poor. Parochial authorities drew on a range of formal and informal medical practitioners to improve the lot of the sick poor, as well as employing a considerable variety of nurses from amongst the wider pauper population. The article represents the first attempt to conduct a systematic study of parochial records for any county.