2nd edition of A Wholesome Horror: Poor Houses of Nova Scotia
Brenda J. Thompson’s 2nd edition of A Wholesome Horror: Poor Houses of Nova Scotia sheds new light on the dark history of these institutions and the people who found themselves in them.
The title of this book comes from beliefs expressed by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), an English philosopher and social reformer [who] proposed that a poor house must be made into “An Object of Wholesome Horror” for workers so that they would keep doing their jobs no matter how demeaning, degrading, or dangerous.
A Wholesome Horror: Poor Houses of Nova Scotia (2017) p.8)
Just released is Brenda Thompson’s 2nd edition of A Wholesome Horror: Poor Houses of Nova Scotia. Through her thorough and meticulous research Brenda has expanded on the first edition with new chapters on children in poor houses, women in poor houses, the “harmless insane” and several stories of specific individuals. In these new chapters she details the often appalling conditions and treatment to which these groups and individuals were subjected. In his Foreword to this new edition Ronan O’Driscoll, author of Poor Farm (2021), writes:
Throughout Brenda’s account, there is extensive research detailing this neglected history of official abuse. This historical research is extremely important but is only half of the story. A Wholesome Horror 2nd ed. also has a number of sections told from the perspective of the victims of these institutions, bringing the horror of their treatment home in a much more immediate way.
O’Driscoll also notes that, “Brenda’s latest research describes the “Moral Treatment” that was meted upon the “harmless insane”: essentially torture in the form of whipping, immersion in ice water or starvation.”
Thompson has also included new material about the state of Nova Scotia’s poor houses obtained from the Cornwallis Book of Records (1795-1862), located in the Acadia University archives, Wolfville, NS and more pictorial material obtained from the personal collection of Dr. Allan Marble.
This new edition is a critical piece in the illumination of this neglected part of Nova Scotia’s social history.
To request a review copy or to arrange an interview with the author please send an email to: sspub@hotmail.com or phone (902) 483-9526
A Wholesome Horror: Poor Houses in Nova Scotia 2nd edition will soon be available in Nova Scotia bookstores or online via SSP Publications.
ISBN 978-1-989347-10-2
eBook ISBN 978-989347-11-9
9” x 8”, pb, colour, 176 pages, $21.95
About the author:
Brenda Thompson has been an anti-poverty activist and writer for more than 30 years. She holds a BA in Women’s Studies from MSVU and a master’s degree in Sociology from Acadia University. As a former ‘welfare mother’ and lifetime low wage earner, she has lived with poverty issues firsthand. Her first book, The Single Mothers’ Survival Guide for Nova Scotia is in its 6th edition. Recipient of a Leadership Award from the Atlantic Centre of Excellence in Women’s Health, Brenda was also the subject of several national news and documentary stories during the 1980s and 1990s. Brenda is a past vice-president of the national Ottawa- based organization Canada Without Poverty. Living in the Annapolis Royal area for more than 20 years, she has discovered her passion for local history. This book is a combination of both of Brenda’s passions. Brenda lives with her husband, daughters and parents in the beautiful and historic Annapolis Royal area of Nova Scotia