Rosalind Mitchison

An ideal volume for anyone wanting a brisk overview of North Britain from the year dot to the twentieth century.

An ideal volume for anyone wanting a brisk overview of North Britain from the year dot to the twentieth century.

A new edition of a classic introduction to the history of eighteenth-century Scotland. First published in 1970 it has acquired a new relevance in light of the current political situation in post-devolution Scotland. Explores the history of government, politics, religion, law, education and ideology in this remarkably fertile period and characterises some of the astonishing cultural and economic achievements of this 'semi-independent' eighteenth-century country.

Food banks, welfare cheques, and shelters for the homeless are the modern face of a timeless problem. Rosalind Michison explores the historical context of poverty and relief in a study that covers four centuries of European history. During the sixteenth century, authorities (both lay and ecclesiastical) and individuals alike showed a marked concern over the state of the poor in Western Europe. Mitchison analyses the nature of this concern and its possible causes. She then examines relief system as set up in various countries, comparing the approach of Catholic and Protestant states, and assessing what they had achieved by the mid-eighteenth century. Among the issues she discusses are the problems of funding and different possible bases for this, the issue of church or state control of poor relief, and the role of military developments in changing attitudes towards poverty and destitution. The last section of the book concentrates on developments within Britain and Ireland and examines the influence of social theories on the quality of provision. The chapters carry notes containing references to particular studies on various countries. These are supplemented by a further bibliography. In all, this is a thoughtful and timely overview of an important segment of European social history.

Drawing on political, constitutional,religious, economic and social studies, Professor Mitchison outlines the growing bonds between England and Scotland, beginning with James VI's succession and culminating in the Act of Union in 1707. She argues that the Union has had a distorting effect on Scottish history, constantly prompting comparisons of the constitutions and achievements of the two countries, rather than placing Scotland in a European context. This book attempts to redress the balance.