byTony Sadler

Excellent starting point; massive detail arranged in easily accessible ‘tabs’

Act for the Relief of the Poor 1601: parish grants of money, clothing, fuel, food (out-relief)

First OED reference to a Workhouse 1652 in Exeter

Workhouse Test Act 1723: parish option of denying out-relief in favour of workhouse

1834 Poor Law Amendment Act: 15000+ parishes formed Unions with purpose-built workhouses

Intended as threat to able-bodied pauper

Improved conditions by end 19th century System ended 1 April 1930 – Public

Assistance Institutions

Up to 1834 workhouses at Wellingboro’ (70 inmates in 1777), Earls Barton (36), Bozeat (10), Wollaston (10), Finedon (36), Irchester (10), Irthlingboro’ (100), Rushden (18)

After 1834 Wellingboro’ Poor Law Union covered 27 parishes

New Wellingboro’ Union workhouse built 1836/7

1930 Public Assistance Institution

Isebrook Hospital Workhouse buildings now

residential

Poor Law Union map

Wellingborough Union workhouse

Admission: reasons & procedure

Uniforms

Inside workhouses and typical

routine

Rules & punishment

Food

Work

Medical care

Workhouse memories

Tramps and vagrants

Excellent review of origins Starts with medieval times –

Poor Law Act 1388 – response to Black Death – fear of social disorder forced state to be responsible for support of poor

Poor Relief Act 1576 – able-bodied needing support had to work for it – legal distinction between genuinely unemployed and the idler

Many useful links See also article on

‘Pauperism’

Short textual history

Describes life, work, food, behaviour

Focuses on Stratford-on-Avon union

workhouse – an noteworthy

exception from usual gloomy

establishments

Newspaper article published on

retirement of master and matron

Links to individual workhouses and

general sites

NT property open to 28 October –

audio tours Wednesday to Sunday

11 a.m guided Welcome Tour

Group guided tours Mondays

Brief history of the union workhouse in Canterbury

Site mainly comprises photos of buildings illustrating development

Link to article on Poor Priest’s Hospital

Workhouse children –

pauper apprentices in

textile trade

Apprentice House

George Courtauld

Punishment in factories

1834 Poor Law – details

of the act

Poverty in Tudor times

10% sample index of

inmates (total 14200)

Full index on microfiche

Workhouse returns to

Parliament

Surname alphabetically

Details location, reason,

term

Complements 1861 census

Free download of some correspondence from selected Poor Law Unions

Example of inspector’s report on Southwell Workhouse

Separately details history of Epsom and Ewell workhouses

Census returns for Epsom 1851 – 1901

Some more general information

Workhouses at bursting point during great Irish famine 1845-51

Workhouse orphans – paupers sent abroad under 1834 act

Australia – girls and young women to provide domestic service and needed to redress gender imbalance