Speenhamland, Berkshire

Speenhamland is an area within modern Newbury, Berkshire.

Name and location

Its name is probably derived from Old English Spen-haema-land, "land of the inhabitants of Speen", with "Speen" perhaps being formed on a Brittonic root deriving from Latin spinis, "thorns".[1]

Speenhamland was a tithing, or administrative subdivision, of the parish of Speen, though even in the early 19th century it was contiguous with the suburbs of Newbury.[2] It lies to the north of the River Kennet, between the centre of Newbury and Speen village to the north-west.[3]

Poor relief

The Speenhamland system of poor relief was devised at a meeting in the area in 1795. It set poor-relief rates by the bread price and the number of household members, in or out of work.[4][5]

References
  1. Coates and Breeze (2000) Celtic voices, English places: studies of the Celtic impact on place-names in England, p. 41.
  2. Lysons & Lysons (eds., 1813: Magna Britannia, vol I, part II, London: Cadell & Davies, p. 372.
  3. Page, William; Ditchfield, P.H., eds. (1924). "Speen with Speenhamland, Bagnor and Benham". A History of the County of Berkshire. Victoria County History. 4. pp. 97–110.
  4. Chris Grover (Lancaster University), "Hard Work", History Today, June 2020.
  5. Walter Elder, "Speenhamland Revisited", Social Service Review 38.3 (1964), pp. 294-302 online.

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