Rt Hon Charles Booth - Definition

Charles Booth (1840-1916) was a philanthropist, most famed for his work on documenting the life on London in the Fin De Siecle period.

Background

Profoundly concerned by contemporary social problems, and not a pious nor even a religious man, he recognised the limitations of philanthropy and conditional charity in addressing the poverty which scarred British society. Without any commission other than his own he devised, organised, and funded one of the most comprehensive and scientific social surveys of London life that had then been undertaken. Booth also added his voice to the cause of state old age pensions as a practical instrument of social policy to alleviate destitution in old age, established as one of the commonest causes of pauperism. Simultaneously he was a successful businessman, running international interests in the leather industry and a steam shipping line.

Main Works

His most famous work is undoubtedly 'Labour and Life of the People' his study of London's society, which was first read before the Royal Statistical Society in May 1887 and May 1888. He was aided in his work by other academics of the time such as Stephen N. Fox, Clara E. Collet, David F. Schloss and H. Llewellyn Smith.

Related Links

• The Charles Booth Online Archive (http://booth.lse.ac.uk/)

• Ben Gidley, The Proletarian Other: Charles Booth and the Politics of Representation (http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/cucr/pdf/gidley.pdf) (London: Centre for Urban and Community Research, Goldsmiths College, 2000).