Poverty and the arrangements for relieving it are recurring themes in local history. Christine Vialls' thesis provides a thoughtful and thorough study of the effect of the old laws of settlement on the poor inhabitants of a particular part of Northamptonshire. After the arrival of the New Poor Law in the 1830s, there were ongoing disputes about the extent to which 'out relief' should be allowed for some of those who would otherwise be only offered help if they entered the workhouse. A number of the following works provide detailed information about how the issue developed and some of the notable individuals involved.
- A Brackley Workhouse Funeral by Susan Ranson [1999] (page 79)
- Charitable Provision for the Rural Poor: A Case Study of Policies and Attitudes in Northamptonshire in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century by Bridget Lewis [2003]
- Emigrants and emigrators: A study of emigration and the New Poor Law with special reference to Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Norfolk, 1834-1860 by Gary Howells [1996]
- Has poverty diminished? A Sequel to Livelihood and Poverty by A L Bowley & Margaret H Hogg [1925] The results of an investigation conducted in 1924 into the economic conditions of working-class households in five towns including Northampton (whose chapter begins at page 52).
- In search of Sydney Ward by Jack Gould [1993] (page 393) From a humble background, Sydney Ward (1864-1942) was notable as a member of the Brixworth Board of Guardians in the 1890s who opposed the policy of generally denying poor relief other than the workhouse that had been pursued locally. The article contains many details of the associated debates and other members of the Board, as well as his work as Chairman of Brixworth Parish Council.
- Letter to Overseers of Earls Barton, 1833 Letter from his wife Mary Tibbett, saying that her husband Joseph was under sentence of death and asking for help.
- Livelihood and Poverty by A L Bowley & A R Burnett-Hurst [1915] The results of an investigation into the economic conditions of working-class households in four towns including Northampton, which was surveyed in 1913 and whose chapter begins on page 49.
- St Peters and Sir George Gilbert Scott by Graham Ward [2021] Biography of the Victorian architect who designed substantial work to the Workhouse and the churches of St Andrew, St Peter and Holy Sepulchre at Northampton.
- The ‘Bury-al Board’: poverty, politics and poor relief in the Brixworth Union, c.1870-1900 by Elizabeth T Hurren [2000]
- The Laws of Settlement: their impact on the poor inhabitants of the Daventry area of Northamptonshire, 1750-1834 by Christine Vialls [1998]
- The Poor in Rothwell, 1750-1840 by J M Steane [1968] (page 143)
- The State of the Poor in Northamptonshire in 1795
- Union Workhouse Records [2025] Discusses the operation of workhouses run by the Poor Law Unions created in 1834, the types of records they created, where these can be found and the information that may be discovered in them.