History of the workhouse
The workhouse is quintessentially Victorian. Just as much as social media is for modern day society.
For the Victorians finding yourself in the workhouse would provoke shame and cause you be an outcast in society. After all, it was considered a crime to be poor during the Victorian times.
Shockingly the workhouse survived well into the 20th century. Finally, being abolished in 1948.
A solution to poverty
The idea of the workhouse was a radical idea to solve the increasing population of the poor and homeless. First opening in 1838 they were meant to make the poor able to stand on their own two feet, and shame them for asking for help! With one third of the nation’s population living in poverty this was their solution to try and solve the crisis.
Segregation
If you found yourself unlucky enough to need to go to the workhouse, then upon arrival (in most cases) you would be separated from your loved ones. Children over 7 years of age were separated from their mothers, and wives separated from their husbands. Family was of upmost importance to Victorian society. By separating the family, it was hoped they could contain the toxic influence of poverty and stop the spread of degenerate behaviour.
Parents that were separated from their children were permitted to have a daily interview with their young ones if they were housed in the same place.
Further Segregation
If all that wasn’t bad enough, there was further segregation for people who misbehaved. The bad people had separate areas to the good people. This system was there to completely humiliate the inmates.
History of the workhouse
Workhouses can be traced back to the 14th century, set up to try and solve the labour shortage of the black death.
Fast forward to the 19th century and the end of the Napoleonic wars there was mass unemployment. Together with the introduction of new technology to replace agricultural workers the poor and impoverished were facing serious problems.
By the late 1830’s the workhouses of the Victorian era were implemented. The new poor Law of 1834 tried to discourage poor relief if people refused to enter the workhouse.
Workhouse life
Life was brutal in the workhouse. Workhouse life was designed to be worse on the inside than life would have been on the outside. To stop the poor becoming reliant on the state, in order to receive help they had to work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, in horrid conditions with little food and water.
Inmates were treated like prisoners, though they were free to leave anytime they wanted. Sadly, for many the only way out would be in a wooden box.
violence in the workhouse wasn’t officially allowed, but that didn’t mean that inmates were free from physical punishment. Sadly, inmates were stripped of their dignity both mentally and physically.
Working in the workhouse
Men had a hard life in the workhouse, doing the hardest of jobs which would mainly be working on farmland in the fields breaking up corn with heavy stones. The hardest jobs for the men would have been breaking up stone from dawn to dusk.
Women of the workhouse take on the lighter duties, but these jobs were by no means easier. Duties would include sewing, washing and any other laundry duties in the most terrible conditions, often in windowless rooms with little ventilation.
Food glorious food
All inmates were given three meals a day, which consisted of watery porridge (gruel) and bread. once week inmates were given meat. It was usual practice for inmates to forgo one of their meat rations to save for Christmas dinner.
Children in the workhouse
30 thousand children entered the work house a year.
Children in the workhouse in 1839 took up almost half of the population of inmates. Some of the vast number of children placed in the workhouse were often orphaned and, in those cases, it was commonplace for the Guardians of the workhouse to become legal guardians of the orphaned children until they were old enough to go into the workplace at round the age of 14.
The poor law commissions recorded a visit by a Physician in Whitechapel in 1838, where he noted that 104 girls slept 4 or more in a bed in a room that measured 88 ft 16.5 ft. Also recording that the large number of the girls in that room had been attacked by fever. Undoubtedly due to the terrible conditions.
The same Physician noted when inspecting the nursery, many of the children were unhealthy and pale looking. He also noted that they rarely left the confines of the room.
Regulations on treatment of children
The treatment of the children in the workhouse was taken very seriously and regulations were issued by the law commission stating that:
- No Child under twelve years of age shall be punished by confinement in a dark room or during the night.
- No corporal punishment shall be inflicted on any male child except by the Schoolmaster or Master
- No corporal punishment shall be inflicted on any female child
- No corporal punishment shall be inflicted on a male child, except with a rod or other instrument, such as items that have been approved of by the Guardians or the visiting committee.
- No Corporal punishment shall be inflicted on any male child until two hours shall have elapsed from the commission of the offence for which such punishment is inflicted.
- Whenever any male child is punished by corporal correction, the master and schoolmaster shall (if possible) be both present.
- No male child under fourteen years shall be punished by flogging.
Even though there were strict regulations there was still cruel behaviour inflicted on the children regularly. In some cases, these would have been reported in the local press.
Education
The poor union was required to provide three hours of schooling a day for children, some people argued whether it was necessary to give the children any education at all. Worrying that this may put them ahead of middle-class children.
However, all children were to receive education in reading writing, arithmetic and religious instruction.
Famous inmates of the workhouse
While researching this article, I discovered many famous people who had been inhabited in the workhouse. Some came as a surprise.
Charlie Chaplin 1889-1977(ACTOR)
Charlie entered the workhouse as a child and was sent there twice before the age of nine.
His mother was sent to an asylum when she was separated from him in Lambeth workhouse.
Charlie was sent to live in a school for children. He was one of 800 pupils at Hanwell industrial, amongst learning Literacy and numeracy he was also taught metal work and tailoring in hopes to set up the children for future work so they could gain independence from the state. It’s astonishing to think that Charlie Chaplin was once the richest man on earth.
Sir Henry Morton Stanley 1841-1904(EXPLORER)
Born in Wales, his mother abandoned him, and he never knew who his father was. Henry was raised by his grandfather until he died and then was sent to the workhouses an orphan. Lack of funding and overcrowding meant lack in supervision which unfortunately led to Henry being abused by older boys.
Sir Henry went on to become a famous explorer and journalist. he is responsible for the first Trans-Africa expedition.
Charles Dickens 1812-1870(AUTHOR)
Born in Portsmouth in 1812, his father was a gambler. He seldom had money to pay for his bets, which often ended up with the family poor and destitute. This led them to be sent to the workhouse. Charles spent his days working in Warrens blacking factory at the young age of 12. (for more information see my post in Charles Dickens).