OLDER PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND : THE FAMILY, WORK AND RETIREMENT AND THE WELFARE STATE FROM 1845-1999 Elizabeth Leslie Black A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St. Andrews 2008 Full metadata for this item is available in the St Andrews Digital Research Repository at: https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/561 This item is protected by original copyright OLDER PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND: THE FAMILY, WORK AND RETIREMENT AND THE WELFARE STATE FROM 1845-1999 A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the University of St Andrews Submitted 31 January 2008 by Elizabeth Leslie Black CONTENTS Declaration i Acknowledgements ii List of Tables and Illustrations v Abbreviations viii Abstract ix INTRODUCTION 1 PART I: Older People and Their Families, 1845-1999 1. Interpretations 20 2. CHAPTER ONE 27 3. CHAPTER TWO 89 PART II: Work, Retirement and the Welfare State, 1845-1999 4. Interpretations 159 5. CHAPTER THREE 168 6. CHAPTER FOUR 227 7. CONCLUSIONS 299 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 307 DECLARATION (i) I, Elizabeth L. Black, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 100,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Date 31 January 2008 Signature of Candidate (ii) I was admitted as a taught M.Litt student in September 2001, and subsequently as a candidate for the degree of Ph.D in September 2002; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2002 and 2007. Date 31 January 2008 Signature of Candidate (iii) I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Ph.D in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date 31 January 2008 Signature of Supervisor In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration. Date 31 January 2008 Signature of Candidate i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Working with my topic on the social history of older people in Scotland has been a wonderfully satisfying experience. The challenge of incorporating a new area of study into the field of Scottish History has its inherent problems and hidden treasure troves. In the main, it is the treasures that have kept me on task. I have been very fortunate to have the support of the School of History in this project. Specific staff members, past and present, who have most kindly listened and offered suggestions include Professor T.C. Smout, Professor Keith Brown, Professor Rab Houston, Dr Steve Murdoch, Dr Tim Minchin, Mr Chris Schmitz and Mr Alex Woolf. I am grateful for the kindnesses and helpfulness I have enjoyed at many libraries and archives throughout Scotland, on which regard I wish to thank the University of St Andrews Main Library, Departmental Library and Special Collections Department, the Dundee Central Library, the Edinburgh City Library, the National Archives, and the National Library of Scotland. My special thanks are due to the Edinburgh Age Concern Library, the Scottish Brewery Archive at the University of Glasgow, and the Dundee University Archive. I would like to warmly thank every individual (of whom there were many) who helped me with my oral history project in Edinburgh and Dundee, in particular the managers of the Dundee and Broughty Ferry Age Concern Day Centres as well as Catherine Mein, a vital source in Edinburgh whose association with the Napier Club led me to dozens of oral history contacts. No matter how efficient modern technology is, it was hardworking and caring people such as these who found the time to help. Words of thanks are not enough for my supervisor, Dr William W.J. Knox, who has provided me with that moment of grace every researcher craves: a true working partnership in which I was as much colleague as I was student. I cherish the opportunities I had to collaborate with such fine people. ii My work has been both an academic journey as well as a personal one. It is on the personal note that I wish to make some comments at this juncture. While living in Scotland for six years, I have formed significant relationships with a number of people, and I owe a debt of gratitude to many former students, colleagues, and friends. I would like to especially name a few who have made this experience particularly worthwhile. Firstly, the Halford-MacLeod family has welcomed me into their home on more occasions that I can reckon. In the midst of many personal tragedies and life-changing experiences, they have provided me with a vital kith and kin network. Secondly, I must thank the Catton family, who has been exceptionally supportive and kind in a period of time when they faced many difficult challenges of their own. Their daughter Emily played a vital role in the transcriptions of literally hundreds of hours of oral histories. Lastly, I would like to extend a special thank you to my Auntie Jean, to whom I am enormously indebted. Our similar experiences and interests have reminded me of my roots, which is exceptionally reassuring. While growing up in my grandparents’ home in Northern California, I was quite aware of the joys and travails associated with ageing. My grandparents lived the final decades of their lives as they lived their lives in entirety: with dignity and grace. My mother’s unstinting devotion to her father in the final years of his life shaped my understanding of family duty and a daughter’s love for her parents. Her example guided me when I lovingly undertook caring responsibilities for my father after he underwent heart surgery, and yet again after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Blissfully unaware of his affect on my work, my father’s pragmatic view of his circumstances and ageing has reinforced my argument of the imperative of learning to adapt in old age. Similarly, the bond my mother and I share after his death has provided me with valuable insights into the experience of bereavement and the importance of the family in old age. It is with these words that I wish to thank my extended family, whose support and strength have encouraged me to take on this chapter of my life. iii In memory of Robert Bruce Black my beloved father 19 September 1931 - 3 January 2006 iv LIST OF TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS Tables Table 1.1 Percentages of Older Populations Aged 60 and Above out of the Total Population in Scotland at Twenty-Year Intervals, 1851-1931 35 Table 1.2 Distribution of Household Population Enumerations in Edinburgh, 1851 40 Table 1.3 Distribution of Household Population Enumerations in Dundee, 1851 40 Table 1.4 Distribution of Household Population Enumerations in Edinburgh, 1901 41 Table 1.5 Distribution of Household Population Enumerations in Dundee, 1851 41 Table 1.6 Proportions of Older Men and Women in Selected Areas, 1851 50 Table 1.7 Conjugal Status of Selected Populations Aged 60 and Above, 1851 50 Table 1.8 Conjugal Condition of Older People in Large Burghal Areas, 1931 53 Table 1.9 Population Change in Dundee and Edinburgh, by Gender at Twenty-Year Intervals, 1851-1931 55 Table 1.10 Civil and Conjugal Condition in Dundee, 1871 61 Table 1.11 Civil and Conjugal Condition in Edinburgh, 1871 61 Table 1.12 Civil and Conjugal Condition in Dundee, 1911 61 Table 1.13 Civil and Conjugal Condition in Edinburgh, 1911 61 Table 1.14 Marriages of Widows and Spinsters With Widowers in Scotland, 1861-1870 63 Table 1.15 Ages of the People in Quinquennial Periods, Scottish and County Figures, 1851 68 Table 1.16 Ages of the People in Quinquennial Periods, Scottish and County Figures, 1901 68 Table 1.17 Ages of the People, in Quinquennial Periods, Scottish and Principal Town Figures, 1931 69 Table 1.18 Houses of Various Sizes, With Number of Occupants, Edinburgh 1931 88 Table 1.19 Houses of Various Sizes, With Number of Occupants, Dundee 1931 88 Table 2.1 Older Populations by Gender, Age, and Marital Condition, Scotland 1971 124 Table 2.2 Age Cohorts, by Percentage in Scotland at Selected Intervals, 1901-1998 126 Table 2.3 Percentages of Older Populations Aged 65 and Above in Scotland at Selected Intervals, 1901-1998 127 Table 2.4 Age Structure of Great Britain, Scotland, and Selected Scottish Cities, 1991 Given in Numerical Values and Percentages 128 v Table 2.5 Household Composition- Percentage of Households With Pensioners in Selected Areas, 1991 132 Table 2.6 Pensioner Household Trends in Scotland, 1961 137 Table 2.7 Pensioner Household Trends in Scotland, 2001 138 Table 2.8 Percentage Living Alone by Age, at Selected Years 1973-1991Great Britain 140 Table 2.9 Scottish Households by Type, Measured in Relation to Head of Household [10% Sample] 1971 141 Table 2.10 Longitudinal