Although this website was created primarily for the use of students in primary and secondary schools, they are also a useful source for researchers. Voices of the Victorian Poor is an open database of letters from paupers, the wider poor and their advocates written between 1834 – 1900. These materials show even the very poorest members of society could be literate, understand the poor laws, regulations and rules, and were able and willing to resist or contest the power of the national and local state. The letters explain their situations in their own words, providing an invaluable insight into the lives of everyday ordinary Victorians whose thoughts and opinions are often considered ‘lost to history.’ The letters are a testament to the agency of the poor and their insistence to be considered citizens with rights. These free resources are now available for your use below, available online and as downloadable resources. They cover such subjects as health, women, school, food, clothes and punishment.