From 'laissez-faire' to 'homes fit for heroes': housing in Dundee 1868-1919

Abstract

The thesis begins by discussing the process of urbanisation in nineteenth-century Scotland, the nature of urban social problems and housing as an urban issue. However, the major concern of the research has been to examine how most people consumed housing in Dundee between 1868 and 1919, a period when the dominant form of provision - private landlordism - underwent crisis. A major time-slice has been taken for Dundee in 1911, using the valuation rolls, allowing the tenure pattern to be mapped and the pattern of ownership and management to be analysed. Tensions arising from the landlord-tenant relationship and tenure distinctions are highlighted, including the missive system, evictions and the rent crises of 1912 and 1915. Local government activity has been examined, especially the powers vested in local officials and the actions they took, particularly in the way this affected landlords, factors and tenants. The nature and form of slum crusades as a response to the perceived, failure of the urban environment is discussed. The changes in policy, which led to the first state-aided council, housing scheme in Scotland, have been researched. Finally the thesis turns to living space and examines the connections between women, planning and the home. Overall the thesis is intended to be a major contribution to the social history and social geography of Dundee.