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Life in a Victorian Workhouse

The Poor Law Act, 1834, Rigidly Enforced the Separation of Paupers

Mar 2, 2009 Jackie Patrick

Men were separated from women, mothers from children and husbands from wives. Living conditions in the workhouse were deliberately made harsh.

Paupers were divided into types of inmate - the aged and infirm, the sick, the able- bodied, children, lunatics and vagrants.

Aged and Infirm Workhouse Inmates

So that the family should regret not taking responsibility for their relatives, visiting was kept to a minimum. Visitors were not allowed to bring in clothes or food, or to interfere with the discipline, nursing or treatment of inmates. Food was considered to be twelve ounces of bread, one ounce of butter, gruel and sugar each day.

Living Conditions for the Workhouse Sick

For the sick living in workhouses, conditions were not good. The Poor Law Act was concerned with the relief of destitution - that is the prevention of death from lack of food, warmth or shelter. Consequently, sickness was not considered a problem. Women paupers were employed as nurses and in return received six ounces of meat daily instead of every other day. No special wards were set aside for the sick; even cases of contagious diseases such as typhus and colera could be found in the general wards until the general public started to become alarmed by this.

Able-Bodied Paupers

The able-bodied were set to work even if that work was unproductive. The male inmates usually worked in the labour yards, employed in oakum picking, bone crushing or breaking sandstone and granite with a hammer. Female able-bodied paupers were involved in making shirts or at the wash tubs. Strict rules were applied to their comings and goings and communication between males and females was not allowed.

Children Living in the Victorian Workhouse

Although, the workhouse was to accommodate children temporarily until a more suitable, permanent arrangement could be made, the lot of the workhouse child must never be better than that of a child of the lowest paid independent worker. Children lived in overcrowded wards, were dirty and had nits. Equipped with a basic education they were later put into the army or were found apprenticeships. It was likely that these young people soon returned to the workhouse as they knew no other way of life.

Suitability of the Workhouse for Lunatics

The workhouse was home to people of unsound mind. If a pauper was certified by a Medical Officer as a lunatic, he was entitled to stay in the workhouse. Padded rooms were provided for those considered dangerous. The Lunacy Commissioners responsible for people of unsound mind, pauper or not, often complained about the suitability of workhouse accommodation.

Casual Ward Provision for Vagrants

Workhouses were obliged to provide casual wards to accommodate the many vagrants applying for a night's lodging especially when the weather was cold. If a vagrant possessed any food when searched, he received no relief. Vagrants were kept separate from other inmates and were expected to work for at least four hours depending on their capabilities. For their labours they were given straw, rugs and a diet of bread and gruel.

Sources

Records of the Camberwell Board of Guardians

The copyright of the article Life in a Victorian Workhouse in UK/Irish History is owned by Jackie Patrick. Permission to republish Life in a Victorian Workhouse in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.