UK-WORKHOUSE-HOSP-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: [UK-W&H] Feeding the workhouse poor.
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 11:36:09 EDT

As a follow on to my comments relating to 'vermin droppings' in the soup
meals inmates were provided, I should also remind you of a previous comment
relating to 'the good, the bad and the ugly'.

Not all workhouses provided inadequate diets nor did all inmates suffer
hardships as described in Dickens 'Oliver Twist.' Even so, unravelling truths
from distortions of reality is difficult to ascertain.

Today we are left with reports written by officials responsible for
overseeing conditions and the few remaining records of inmates recording the
conditions within which they experienced a life of servitude for no other
reason than being unable to be self reliant.

Shipmeadow workhouse (in the Wangford union of Suffolk) is commented upon by
The Assistant Commissioner, Dr James Kay, relating to an inmate from a usual
Sunday outing as being drunk and violent. The woman was searched and found to
be in possession of the following stolen articles: clothing, gold, silver and
copper coins to the value of £7 (todays value it would equate to
approximately £377 or $581), six eggs, apples, bread, cheese, two pounds of
pork, half pound of sausages, six eggs, 3/4 pint of rum together with other
items.

The granting of extra food and drink to inmates, in payment of domestic work
within the workhouse, was outlawed by the Poor Law Commissioners. However,
some inmates of the Suffolk workhouse continued to receive on average 12
pints of beer each week and an additional 5 pints for washerwomen and certain
other domestics per day!

By way of contrast: In 1846 a shoemaker on his uppers (forgive the unintended
pun, James Reynolds from a village in Cambridgeshire, spent a period of time
in the Newmarket workhouse with both wife and children. He died in the
workhouse and became known to literary circles as 'the workhouse poet.' One
(part) verse (from several volumes) is in a letter written to his sister:

"Since I cannot, dear sister, with you hold communion.
I'll give you a sketch of our life in the union.
But how to begin I don't know how, I declare:
Let me see: well, the first is our grand bill of fare.
We've skilly for breakfast; at night bread and cheese,
And we eat it and then go to bed if you please.
Two days in the week we have puddings for dinner'
And two, we have broth, so like water but thinner;
Two, meat and potatoes, of this none to spare;
One day, bread and cheese - this is our fare."

He refers to the 'fighting of inmates at night,' 'working on the treadmill,'
'surrounded by walls too high to climb,' being "confined like a felon without
any crime" and drinking cold water "no wine nor porter nor beer."

I have just deleted a political statement suggesting that times may change
but, in some quarters, human attitudes remain the same. Perhaps, perhaps I
should at some time period add comments relating to the age of Medical
Quackery which was, to some degree, concurrent with medical treatment
'provided' during the early and later stages of workhouse 'care.'

Tony. (Jan's list partner).

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