title: The Poor Law of old England: institutional innovation and demographic regimes.
abstract: The striking improvement in life expectancy that took place in England between the Middle Ages and the seventeenth century cannot be explained either by an increase in real wages or by better climatic conditions. The decrease in the risk of utter destitution or of death from famine that was evident on the eve of the Industrial Revolution stemmed, in part, from institutional changes in the old poor law, which began to take shape and become effective early in the seventeenth century.
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Cormac Ó
authors.initials: CÓ
authors.lastname: Gráda
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D002980:Climate; D003710:Demography / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D007182:Income / Q000266:history; D007603:Jurisprudence / Q000266:history; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D012922:Social Change / Q000266:history; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors / Q000266:history; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000208:ethnology