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Wandering men? Mobility among convicted vagrants in Belgium (1870-1914/30)
Journal Contribution - Journal Article
This paper investigates the mobility patterns of men convicted for vagrancy
in Belgium between 1870-1914/30 on the basis of a representative sample of
851 prisoners’ files from the Belgian State Benevolent Colonies. By demonstrating
the existence of various degrees of mobility in our sample, we
question the oft-made equation between vagrancy and mobility. The vague
legal definition of vagrancy left ample room for different interpretations
according to distinct preoccupations, from urban authorities removing local
‘nuisances’ to destitute men presenting themselves at the gates of the
Colonies. Rather than a direct reflection of growing numbers of ‘wandering
men’, therefore, the burgeoning vagrancy convictions in the Belle Epoque
appear to have served as a passe-partout in complex responses to the
challenges and vulnerabilities of the time’s ‘social question’.
in Belgium between 1870-1914/30 on the basis of a representative sample of
851 prisoners’ files from the Belgian State Benevolent Colonies. By demonstrating
the existence of various degrees of mobility in our sample, we
question the oft-made equation between vagrancy and mobility. The vague
legal definition of vagrancy left ample room for different interpretations
according to distinct preoccupations, from urban authorities removing local
‘nuisances’ to destitute men presenting themselves at the gates of the
Colonies. Rather than a direct reflection of growing numbers of ‘wandering
men’, therefore, the burgeoning vagrancy convictions in the Belle Epoque
appear to have served as a passe-partout in complex responses to the
challenges and vulnerabilities of the time’s ‘social question’.
Journal: Low Countries Journal of Social and Economic History
ISSN: 1572-1701
Issue: 2
Volume: 13
Pages: 51-75
Publication year:2016
Keywords:vagrancy, Social Policy, NINETEENTH CENTURY, Migration History
Accessibility:Open