Next we have Elizabeth Garner (University of Aberdeen), whose bursary facilitated archival research relating to her PhD project:

I spent two weeks at The National Archives in Kew. The bursary allowed me to accept the Theodore Bosanquet Bursary which consisted of two weeks accommodation in Francis Grandner House, London. I surveyed collections in The National Archives searching for material relating to the earliest years of the Irish poor law (1838-1847), the legislation which set-up a workhouse system in Ireland. I discovered and digitised over 500 new documents relating to the administration of the new poor relief system, providing new information on the way in which the British government approached its administration of the Irish state in the years just prior to the Famine. This was an amazing opportunity to prove a theory I had developed since the beginning of my PhD, that undiscovered Irish poor law material survived was uncatalogued in The National Archives. The results of my archival survey will have a significant impact upon my PhD thesis as they challenge prevailing models of state authority and local agency. Perhaps more importantly, the documents I found are of great significance in my area of study.

Both receiving the bursary and the research that has come out of the trip has enabled me to reach out to senior academics in my field who have been very interested in my findings. A particularly important connection has been with Principal Records Specialist at The National Archives, Dr Paul Carter. Dr Carter is a leading expert on my PhD topic and it was incredible to chat with him in-person. We have subsequently stayed in touch as he is very interested in my research project. This has been an amazing contact as Dr Carter has experience in leading major AHRC projects and in disseminating findings to diverse audiences. This is a major step forward towards realising my goal of writing for both general and specialist audiences. I am currently preparing an article on the survival of Irish poor law material in The National Archives which I plan to submit to Irish Historical Studies early next year. My findings have resulted in an invite to speak next year at a Cambridge Seminar Series, and I have been contacted by members of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (https://virtualtreasury.ie/) who had heard about my research at The National Archives.

I would like to add that being awarded the BAIS bursary has had an enormous impact on my research, but also on the potential reach of my findings. The bursary is highly respected and receiving the award highlighted my work to prominent scholars in my field. As a result, I’ve been able to grow my network beyond the University of Aberdeen and into major institutions like The National Archives and Trinity College Dublin.

Designing and executing an extensive archival survey has really boosted my confidence going into the final year of my PhD, and opened doors for me in terms of future collaboration. Everyone has been very helpful and supportive. It has been an amazing opportunity for me and I am so grateful for the support.

Elizabeth is a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen. Her interdisciplinary thesis is titled “Encountering the Early Irish Poor Law (1838-1847)” and explores the diverse ways in which people ‘encountered’ one of Ireland’s most controversial pieces of legislation. More broadly she is interested in the ways in which nineteenth-century legislation across the UK was practically implemented and interpreted at ground level, and the subsequent impact this had upon civic and cultural identities.

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