ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to challenge the assumption that working-class widows in the past were passive recipients of assistance from society and private charities. The intention is to demonstrate that, on the contrary, they showed remarkable ability to combine different strategies for supporting themselves and their children. While they might figure prominently among people receiving assistance, such assistance was only part of their livelihood, at least until they were caught up by old age and illness. Most widows were also producers. Even those outside the labour market per se were often engaged in providing accommodation, food, or childcare for other people. It is time to re-evaluate the input of women and widows in the past and their role in shaping society at both the local and the national level.
