Reclaiming Reality

aware of the spirit behind the Act . The objective of the New Poor Laws was to make the 'workhouse' a deterrent, to 'criminalise' poverty . The knowledge that if they died while in the poorhouse, was a further deterrent as the destitute knew they would finish up as slops in a bucket of quicklime . An interesting book with a wealth of anecdotal detail, rather elliptical in places but worthy of a read .