Talk: Charity and Hunger: London’s Forgotten Soup Kitchens | 3rd September

I saw Philip Carstairs give this talk at the LAMAS conference last year. I was drawn in by the title of the talk but found it surprising engaging and utterly fascinating. So, with the agreement of the Society, I invited him to speak at the Society's monthly session this year. 

The 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 and is currently researching soup kitchens from the same era in London.

Details

3rd September 2026, 7:00 pm

Union Church Hall, Corner of Ferme Park Road/Weston Park, Crouch End, N8 9PX

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.

£5 suggested minimum donation for non-members