Very interesting programme.
When they were saying that one of her female ancestors didn't claim poor relief, it made me wonder how early insurance mutuals started in Scotland and whether the visit to the Kirk was in fact part of early type of mutual society, although women were always discriminated against in these schemes? Maybe the flax/weaving industry had some kind of mutual scheme?
Annie Lennox did use the verb "insure" in another context early on in the programme which set me thinking long these lines.
Interesting also that another long-lived ancestor was said to have "died of dementia" (did we see the death certificate with this on it?) and the man said he doubted it and that she probably died of old age - exactly what I often think when its often said now that someone has died of dementia or Alzheimers! I forget when exactly she died but remember that it was after state pensions were introduced in 1908, in fact very shortly after old age pensions were introduced so she hardly had time to claim her pension!
The history of pensions is very interesting although not covered in the programme except perhaps in a couple of hints. Widows funds were established already in the 17th century in Germany for widows of the clergy (don't know what happened to the clergy's illegitimates ...) and for male teachers with widows of clergy funds founded more widely in Europe in the 18th century - so the involvement of the Kirk with Annie Lennox's family is quite intriguing.
Of course at that time especially in Britain there was an Empire and there was funding for such schemes to be be set up in Britain. Germany already set up a state pension scheme in 1889, many years before the UK but of course after WW1 lost its empire and couldn't cover the old age pensions which is why before the concentration camps, they started putting a lot of elderly people into old people's homes.
Wonder whether those who worked at Balmoral or on any of the big estates got any kind of occupational pension?
