Being Poor in East Sussex 1601 - 1834

Brighton & Hove Meeting Centre

The Old Poor Laws, which were administered at parish level, provided pre-welfare state assistance to the needy.  They created mountains of paperwork and where these have survived we can get a fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors.  This talk will look at how the system worked and the records it created in East Sussex, and will tell the stories of some of those who received help from the parish.