Charity and Hunger: London’s Forgotten Soup Kitchens with Philip Carstairs

Being poor and hungry in the long nineteenth century: the evidence from London soup kitchens

This presentation will explore some of the many soup kitchens that fed the poor of north and east London. Soup kitchens flourished across nineteenth-century London and provided food to around a tenth of the population, but the buildings have almost all vanished. Many of the charities were short-lived and almost all opened only during winter. Understanding their forgotten story and how and why they operated will shed light on the lives of London’s labouring poor and middle class attitudes towards them at a time when there was little public welfare other than the Dickensian workhouse.

About the speaker

Phil Carstairs is an archaeologist and historian specialising in the post-medieval period with a particular interest in buildings. He completed his PhD at the University of Leicester in 2022 which explored nineteenth century soup kitchens in five counties of England. He is currently researching nineteenth-century soup kitchens in London.

Details

HHS Talks are free for members of the Society. The talk is also available on Zoom for members who will receive the link by email.

Non-members are welcome to attend in person (subject to there being enough space available) and are encouraged to make a donation (suggested minimum £5.00) or sign up for membership on the night.

Image credits

The North West Public Soup Kitchen, 295 Euston Road ‘Illustrated Times’ 18/12/1858

The Hampstead Soup Kitchen (built 1853) in 2026, Speaker’s collection