Most family historians eventually come to realise that the saying "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there", is often quite apt. And that is definitely so in the case of the word "Barracks". The word was originally taken to mean any form of intensive basic accommodation. In the nineteenth century the movement into the towns from the country meant there was need for very basic accommodation for the needy masses and "The Barracks" were to be found all over England. Much of it survived into the early twentieth century, often having degenerated into insanitary slums. Fortunately such accommodation was removed following the various improvement acts and so we now tend to see the word as having only military connections. I know about this because my ancestors lived in such accommodation, despite the denials of elderly aunts who would rather choke than utter the word.
Imber
