Home > Encyclopedia > Generic places

Almshouse

roseList documents mentioning Almshouse

Description

Almhouses were residences for the poor and elderly. After the dissolution of the religious houses, which saw the closure of many almshouses that had become chanteries, almhouses were founded and/or operated by individual benefactors, livery companies, or the parish. Residents therein were known as almsmen and almswomen or bedesmen and bedeswomen. They were usually expected to pray daily. It was common for people to will small sums of money to the inhabitants of almhouses, on condition that they pray for the soul of the departed benefactor. Livery company court books record payments to local almshouses and to almshouses owned by the company in or near London.

Further Reading

  • Nicholls offers the most thorough history of post-dissolution almshouses in England, with scattered references to London throughout.
  • Schen on charity and alms in general

References

  • Citation

    McIntosh, Margorie K. Poverty, Charity, and Coercion in Elizabethan England. The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 35.3 (2005): 457-479.

    This item is cited in the following documents:

  • Citation

    Nicholls, Angela. Almshouses in Early Modern England: Charitable Housing in the Mixed Economy of Welfare, 1550-1725. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2017.

    This item is cited in the following documents:

  • Citation

    Schen, Claire S. Charity and Lay Piety in Reformation London, 1500–1620. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002. Print.

    This item is cited in the following documents:

Cite this page

MLA citation

Jenstad, Janelle. Almshouse. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 6.6, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 30 Jun. 2021, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/ALMS1.htm. INP.

Chicago citation

Jenstad, Janelle. Almshouse. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 6.6. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed June 30, 2021. mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/ALMS1.htm. INP.

APA citation

Jenstad, J. 2021. Almshouse. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London (Edition 6.6). Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/editions/6.6/ALMS1.htm. INP.

RIS file (for RefMan, RefWorks, EndNote etc.)

Provider: University of Victoria
Database: The Map of Early Modern London
Content: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

TY  - ELEC
A1  - Jenstad, Janelle
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - Almshouse
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
ET  - 6.6
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/06/30
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/ALMS1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/xml/standalone/ALMS1.xml
TY  - UNP
ER  -

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#JENS1"><surname>Jenstad</surname>, <forename>Janelle</forename></name></author>. <title level="a">Almshouse</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, Edition <edition>6.6</edition>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2021-06-30">30 Jun. 2021</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/ALMS1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/ALMS1.htm</ref>. INP.</bibl>

Personography

Locations