Charity Organisation Society: Special Committee on Unskilled Labour

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0097 COLL MISC 0488
Held at	: British Library of Political and Economic Science   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.lse.ac.uk/library ›
Full title	: Charity Organisation Society: Special Committee on Unskilled Labour
Date(s)	: 1906
Level of description	: collection
Extent	: One folder
Name of creator(s)	: Charity Organisation Society

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Charity Organisation Society (COS): During the 1860s there was a concern that self-help and charity could conflict. It was believed that the poor could best be helped through the use of charity funding, to help themselves. In June 1868 at a meeting if the Society of Arts, the Unitarian minister Henry Solly (1813-1903) gave a public lecture entitled "How to deal with the Unemployed Poor of London and with its 'Rough' and Criminal Class". This led to the formation of the Charity Organisation Society in 1869, with Solly as its first Secretary. The aim of COS was a better standard of administering charity relief, emphasising the need for self help, and accompanying it with personal care. COS became involved in administering charity relief in London, and in the 20th century was associated with the introduction and development of social casework in Britain. The social reformer Beatrice Webb (1858-1943) became a member in 1883, and the housing reformer Octavia Hill (1838-1912) was a key figure in the development of the COS until her death.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of an investigation into the wages and conditions of work of unskilled labour, especially in London. Interviews with representatives of the London Carmen's Union, the General Labourers' Amalgamated Union and the United Builder's Labourers Union.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

OPEN

Conditions governing reproduction:

APPLY TO ARCHIVIST

Finding aids:

No further list required

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on May 8, 2002

Rules or conventions:

Date(s) of descriptions:
8 May 2002