Bedwellty Union Workhouse facts for kids

The Bedwellty Union Workhouse was a large building in Georgetown, Tredegar, Wales. It was a place where people who were very poor or couldn't support themselves could live and work. The building was used for about 127 years. Later, it even became a hospital. Today, where the workhouse once stood, there is a housing estate called St James Park.

What Was Life Like Before Workhouses?

Before 1834, local areas helped poor people. This help was called poor relief. Money for this came from a local tax on property, known as the poor rate. How this help was given changed a lot from one place to another.

The Industrial Revolution caused many small villages to grow into big towns very quickly. This, along with jobs that were not always steady, made it hard for the old system of poor relief to keep up.

In 1834, a new law called the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 was passed. This law changed how poor people were helped. A new group in London, called the Poor Law Commission, was set up to manage everything.

How Poor Law Unions Were Formed

Under the new law, single local areas, called parishes, were grouped together. These groups were known as Unions. About 600 local groups, called Board of Guardians, were elected to run these unions. This was the start of local government.

These Unions looked after poor relief in their areas. They were also told to build a workhouse. A workhouse offered indoor relief, meaning people lived inside the building. The new system focused on people who were able to work but had no jobs. The idea was to make conditions inside the workhouse tough. This was meant to encourage people to find work outside.

In 1849, the Bedwellty Poor Law Union was created. It included areas like Bedwellty, Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Tredegar, and Rhymney. Local landowners elected the Board of Guardians who ran this Union.

The First Workhouse in Tredegar

Before the new Unions were formed, Tredegar already had a workhouse. It was called Twyn Y Ddraenen (Thornhill). This building was in the middle of Queen Square. It still stands today and has been turned into three houses.

Building the New Bedwellty Workhouse

The Bedwellty Board of Guardians decided to build a new workhouse. It was built in the Georgetown area of Tredegar. Even with the new workhouse, they still gave outdoor relief. This was help given to people in their own homes. They did this because there wasn't always enough space in the workhouse, especially when many people were unemployed. For example, during the Welsh Coal Strike of 1889, many unemployed men asked the Board for help.

Good Things About the Bedwellty Workhouse

The Bedwellty Union Workhouse had some good ideas. From the very beginning, they hired a school mistress to teach the children living there. In 1857, a school inspection was very positive. This was quite advanced for the time. Compulsory education for all children in England and Wales didn't start until 1880.

Also, in 1901, the workhouse infirmary (its hospital section) started training nurses. This was the beginning of nurse training that later became part of St James Hospital.

Life Inside the New Workhouse

The new workhouse was designed by Mr Humphries of Cheltenham. It was finished and opened in 1852. It could hold 300 people. Mr and Mrs Keogh were the first Master and Matron, running the workhouse. Other staff included a doctor, a chaplain, a school-mistress, a nurse, and a porter.

However, the new workhouse soon became a place people feared. Families who entered were separated. Many people saw it as a prison, and the rules were very strict. The community often tried to help sick, elderly, or injured people stay in their homes. They would collect money for food and rent. People tried to avoid the workhouse because of the shame it brought. Entering it was truly a last resort.

Around 1882, a boy named Walter Conway lived in the workhouse for about two and a half years after his father died. Walter later became very important in setting up the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, which helped inspire the NHS. He had good memories of his time there. He learned to "do everything well" from the Master and developed a love for books.

In 1901, a new building was added, which is thought to be the hospital section (Infirmary). In 1904, the workhouse was officially named 'Ty Bryn'. This was done to prevent people born there from being shamed by the workhouse name.

New Homes for Children

The workhouse was often very crowded. In 1902, an inspection found that many people had to share beds. To help with this and to give children a better place to live, the Board of Guardians decided to build cottage homes for the children.

These cottage homes opened in 1905 at Park Row, Tredegar. They housed 75 children in five separate houses. A foster mother lived in each house. This new idea for caring for children was inspired by places in Europe, like the Rauhe Haus in Germany. The Union also had smaller homes for children in other towns.

The demand for space in the workhouse continued. In 1908, the building was made bigger and could now hold 440 people. Also in 1908, Walter Conway, who had once lived there, was elected as a guardian on the Board. In 1915, he became the Chairman of the Board of Guardians.

The Workhouse During World War I

In January 1919, the workhouse infirmary was used as a military hospital. The children's cottage homes were used to care for sick people who would normally have been in the infirmary. The sick and wounded soldiers were later moved to a larger hospital in Cardiff in July.

The Workhouse Becomes a Hospital

The workhouse continued to help the poor and sick until 1930. At this time, the Bedwellty Union and its Board of Guardians were closed down. The workhouse then became known as the 'County Infirmary'. It was run by Monmouthshire County Council.

After the National Health Service Act 1946 was passed in 1948, the County Infirmary was renamed 'St James Hospital'. It was managed by the North Monmouthshire Hospital Management Committee. At this time, the hospital needed a lot of money to be updated. It also still provided shelter for people who didn't need medical care.

There was a big shortage of nurses in the 1950s. This meant that some general and maternity beds had to be closed. A campaign was started to find and train more nurses. In 1963, a new operating theatre was opened. With help from a surgeon, Mr. J. S. McConnachie, the hospital started to offer more serious care. It had beds for surgical patients, a pathology department (for studying diseases), and a dispensary service (for medicines).

In 1969, the first part of the new Nevill Hall Hospital was finished. The surgical beds from St James Hospital were moved there. St James Hospital was left with medical and maternity beds. The second part of Nevill Hall Hospital was finished in 1970, and the maternity beds from St James Hospital were also moved.

The End of an Era

St James Hospital closed in 1976. The building was torn down in 1979. Today, the site is a housing estate called St James Park.

See also

• Bedwellty