Workhouse facts for kids
A workhouse was a special kind of building in Britain and Ireland. It offered a place to live and work for people who couldn't support themselves financially. In Scotland, these places were often called poorhouses. The word "workhouse" was first used in 1631.
The idea for workhouses came from big changes in history. After a terrible disease called the Black Death in the 1300s, there weren't enough workers. Laws were made to control where people could work. Later, after the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815, many people lost their jobs. New machines also meant less work for farmers. Because of these problems, the old ways of helping poor people weren't working well.
In 1834, a new law called the New Poor Law was introduced. It aimed to make people work for any help they received. Many workhouses hoped to make money from the free labor of the people living there. Inmates often did simple, hard tasks. These included breaking stones or picking apart old ropes called oakum.
Over time, workhouses changed. By the late 1800s, they mostly became places for the elderly, sick, and people who couldn't work. They were less for healthy unemployed people. Workhouses were officially ended in 1930. However, many continued as "Public Assistance Institutions" under local control. It wasn't until 1948 that a new law finally removed the last parts of the old poor law system.
Contents
Understanding Workhouses: History and Laws
Early Beginnings: Medieval to Modern Times
The Statute of Cambridge 1388 was an early law. It tried to fix the shortage of workers after the Black Death. This terrible disease killed many people in England. The law set wages and stopped workers from moving freely. This was to prevent wages from rising too much.
Historians say that after the plague, the government started to help the poor. Before this, it was mostly up to churches or individuals. Laws were made against vagrancy, which meant wandering without a home or job. These laws were the start of state-funded help for the poor. From the 1500s, laws separated people who wanted to work but couldn't from those who could work but wouldn't.
King Henry VIII closed many monasteries starting in 1536. These monasteries had been a big source of charity. This made the problem of supporting the poor even bigger. The Poor Act 1575 then stated that able-bodied poor people had to work for support.
The Poor Relief Act 1601 made local areas responsible for caring for their poor. This included the elderly or sick who couldn't work. The Act divided poor people into three groups. Healthy people who could work were offered jobs in special houses. The old and sick were given housing or help at home. This help was often money or food, paid for by a local tax on wealthier people.
Workhouses in the Georgian Era
The workhouse system grew in the 1600s. It helped local areas save money on poor relief. By 1776, there were over 1,800 workhouses in England and Wales. They could hold more than 90,000 people. This growth was helped by the Workhouse Test Act 1723. This law meant anyone asking for help had to enter a workhouse and do work, usually without pay. This system was called "indoor relief." It helped stop people from making false claims for help.
The Relief of the Poor Act 1782, known as Gilbert's Act, also boosted growth. It allowed local areas to team up and share costs. They formed "Gilbert Unions" to build bigger workhouses for the elderly and sick. Healthy poor people were given help at home or found local jobs. However, many workhouses were poorly managed by the 1830s.
Sir Frederick Eden wrote about a workhouse in 1797. He described it as an "inconvenient building" with small windows and dark stairs. It looked like a prison with high walls. Rooms had many beds, often dirty. Diseases like smallpox spread easily, causing many deaths. He noted that 60 out of 131 inmates were children.
Some areas without many people placed homeless poor into rented homes. Others received help in their own houses. Workhouses could hold a few people or hundreds. For example, Liverpool's workhouse held 900–1200 people between 1782 and 1794. Poor Law commissioner George Nicholls wrote in 1854 that many workhouses were like factories. They aimed to profit from inmate labor, not just help the truly poor.
The 1834 Poor Law Act
By 1832, the money spent on helping the poor had reached £7 million a year. This was a huge amount. The system was almost collapsing due to the large number of people needing help. After the Napoleonic Wars ended, many people were unemployed. New farming methods also meant less work on the land. Bad harvests and riots in 1830 made things even worse. Change was clearly needed.
Many people thought the poor relief system was being misused. In 1832, the government set up a group to investigate. This led to the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, also called the New Poor Law. This law made it harder for healthy people to get help at home. Instead, they were "offered the house," meaning they had to enter a workhouse.
Local areas were grouped into "Poor Law Unions." Each union had its own workhouse. Over 500 new workhouses were built in the next 50 years. Many people in the industrial north resisted these new buildings. They felt that unemployed workers needed short-term help, not workhouses. By 1868, Poor Law Unions covered all of England and Wales.
Despite the new law, local taxpayers still paid for poor relief. This meant there was a reason to find ways around the rules. For example, if someone in a family was sick, they might still get help at home. This was cheaper than housing them in a workhouse. In 1846, many healthy poor people still received help at home. It's estimated that about 6.5% of the British population lived in workhouses at any given time.
Life in Early Victorian Workhouses
The New Poor Law Commissioners were unhappy with existing workhouses. They often insisted that new ones be built. They complained that old workhouses trained young people in idleness and vice. They also said healthy adults were lazy, and respectable elderly people suffered.
After 1835, many workhouses were built with central buildings. These were surrounded by work and exercise yards. High brick walls enclosed them, earning them the nickname "pauper bastilles." The commission wanted new workhouses to separate people into at least four groups. These were the elderly and sick, children, healthy men, and healthy women. Each group had its own living area.
A common design looked like a prison called a panopticon. It had a central point with four buildings radiating out. This design, by architect Sampson Kempthorne, allowed for separate yards. Separating inmates had three goals. It helped give specific care, discouraged people from seeking help, and stopped the spread of illness. Some critics compared these new designs to prisons. They felt the buildings were meant to scare people.
By the 1840s, some of Kempthorne's designs were less popular. In crowded cities, space was limited. Concerns about air circulation also grew. Newer workhouses built between 1840 and 1870 had separate blocks for different functions. The entrance building held offices. The main building had wards and workrooms, connected by long corridors. Each building was often separated by an exercise yard for a specific group of people.
Joining and Leaving the Workhouse
Each Poor Law Union had officers who visited people asking for help. They decided what aid, if any, should be given. People needing immediate help could get a note to enter the workhouse. Others might get money or goods until a meeting decided on their long-term support.
Workhouses had only one entrance, guarded by a porter. Near the entrance were casual wards for homeless travelers and rooms for new arrivals. After a medical check, people were separated into wards. These included boys under 14, healthy men aged 14-60, men over 60, girls under 14, healthy women aged 14-60, and women over 60. Children under two could stay with their mothers. However, entering a workhouse meant giving up responsibility for your family.
Personal belongings were usually taken and stored. People were given a special uniform. Men might wear a striped shirt, jacket, trousers, and a cloth cap. Women wore a blue-and-white striped dress with a smock. Shoes were also provided. In some places, certain inmates were marked by their clothing. For example, some workhouses had a separate ward for people with skin diseases like scabies. Destitute people with mental health issues were also often housed in workhouses.
Conditions in the casual wards were very basic. They were designed to discourage homeless travelers, who were often seen as troublemakers. A porter decided if a traveler could stay for the night. If refused, they risked being jailed for begging. Early casual wards were large rooms with simple bedding, like straw. Travelers had to work before leaving. For example, men might break stones for three hours. Women might pick oakum for two hours. Later laws made travelers stay longer.
People could leave the workhouse whenever they wanted, usually with three hours' notice. If a parent left, their children also had to leave. This was to prevent children from being abandoned. The famous actor Charlie Chaplin spent time in a workhouse with his mother. He wrote that his mother once took him and his brother out for a day. They played in a park and visited a coffee shop before returning to the workhouse. Life in a workhouse was very difficult, and many people did not live there for long.
Work and Daily Tasks
| Daily Workhouse Schedule |
|
|---|---|
| 5:00-6:00 | Rise |
| 6:30–7:00 | Breakfast |
| 7:00–12:00 | Work |
| 12:00–13:00 | Dinner |
| 13:00–18:00 | Work |
| 18:00–19:00 | Supper |
| 20:00 | Bedtime |
| Sunday was a day of rest. During the winter months inmates were allowed to rise an hour later and did not start work until 8:00. | |
Some workhouse managers hoped to make money from the inmates' labor. They wanted the workhouses to be self-supporting. However, the small income rarely covered the running costs. In the 1700s, inmates were not well managed. They often lacked the skills or desire to compete with outside industries. Some workhouses acted more as places to test poverty than to make a profit.
Local people sometimes worried about competition from cheap workhouse labor. For example, in 1888, firewood cutters complained. They said cheap firewood from workhouses in London threatened their jobs.
Many inmates were given tasks they weren't good at. Most did "generally pointless" work. This included breaking stones or removing hemp from telegraph wires. Workhouses were sometimes called 'The Spike'. This name might come from the metal nail, or spike, used to pick oakum. Bone-crushing was another common task. The crushed bones were used to make fertiliser. However, this task was stopped after a scandal in 1845. An investigation found that starving people in the Andover workhouse were fighting over old bones. After this, the Poor Law Commission was replaced. New rules were made for diet, staff duties, education, and discipline.
Some Poor Law Unions sent poor children to British colonies. These included Canada and Australia. They hoped the children would find new opportunities there. Between 1850 and 1871, over 1,000 boys were sent to the colonies. In 1869, two women, Maria Rye and Annie Macpherson, began taking groups of orphans and workhouse children to Canada. Most were taken in by farming families.
Elderly inmates were expected to work too. They did tasks like chopping firewood or cleaning. In 1882, Lady Brabazon started a project for non-able-bodied inmates. This was called the Brabazon scheme. Volunteers taught crafts like knitting and embroidery. The scheme grew as workhouses found they could sell the goods.
Food in the Workhouse
In 1836, the Poor Law Commission provided six different diet plans. Each workhouse chose one based on its local situation. The food was simple but usually had enough nutrients. Records show it was prepared carefully. Staff were trained to serve and weigh portions correctly.
The diets followed a weekly rotation. Meals were chosen daily from a list of foods. Breakfast was often bread and gruel. Dinner might include cooked meats, pickled pork, or bacon with vegetables. Potatoes, yeast dumpling, soup, suet, or rice pudding were also common. Supper usually consisted of bread, cheese, and broth. Sometimes butter or potatoes were added.
Larger workhouses had separate dining rooms for men and women. Smaller ones would have different meal times. This was to keep the sexes apart.
Learning and Education
Children in workhouses received an education. However, finding good teachers was a problem. Workhouse teachers were paid poorly and had no formal training. They faced large classes of children who often weren't interested in lessons. Few teachers stayed long. In 1845, a law required that all child apprentices could read and sign their papers. This was to ensure a basic level of education.
Some children learned skills useful in their area. In Shrewsbury, boys worked in the workhouse workshop. Girls learned spinning, glove-making, and other tasks. Children in St Martin in the Fields learned to spin flax and card wool. Then they became apprentices. Workhouses also had ties with local industries. In Nottingham, children working in a cotton mill earned money for the workhouse.
Some local areas advertised for apprenticeships. They would even pay employers to take children. This was often cheaper than supporting children in the workhouse. Children often had no say in these arrangements. Sometimes, their parents didn't even know. Children were sometimes sent to work in factories, which some people felt was unfair to their families.
Religion in the Workhouse
Religion was an important part of workhouse life. Prayers were read to the poor people every day, before breakfast and after supper. Each Poor Law Union had to hire a chaplain. This person looked after the spiritual needs of the inmates. Chaplains were almost always from the Church of England. Religious services were usually held in the dining hall. Few early workhouses had a separate chapel.
In some areas, like Cornwall and northern England, there were more dissenters (non-Anglicans) than Church of England members. The 1834 Poor Law said no one should be forced to attend services against their beliefs. So, non-Anglicans could leave the workhouse on Sundays. They could attend services elsewhere. They just needed a certificate from their minister when they returned.
As the 1800s continued, non-conformist ministers began to hold services in workhouses. However, Catholic priests were rarely welcomed. Laws from the 1600s had limited the rights of Catholics. Even though most restrictions were removed by 1829, strong anti-Catholic feelings remained. Even in areas with many Catholics, like Liverpool, a Catholic chaplain was rare. Some guardians even refused Catholic priests entry to the workhouse.
Rules and Discipline
Discipline was very strict in the workhouse. For small offenses, like swearing or pretending to be sick, people could have their food reduced for up to 48 hours. This was for "disorderly" behavior. For more serious problems, like being disobedient or violent, people could be confined for up to 24 hours. Their food might also be restricted. This was for "refractory" behavior.
Children were also disciplined, but the methods used for boys and girls were different. Children, especially orphans, who left without permission or ran away could face severe discipline. They might be confined without food or water. Anyone who repeatedly broke rules could be taken to a Justice of the Peace and even jailed. All punishments were written down in a book. Workhouse guardians regularly checked this book. Guardians were locally elected representatives who oversaw the workhouse.
Running the Workhouse: Management and Staff
The Poor Law Commissioners set the rules for the Poor Law Unions. But each union was run by a local board of guardians. These guardians were elected from each participating area. They were usually farmers or business owners. One of their jobs was to choose who supplied goods to the workhouse. This could sometimes lead to small acts of corruption.
The 1834 Act allowed women to become guardians if they owned property. However, the first woman wasn't elected until 1875. Working-class guardians were not appointed until 1892. This was when the property requirement was removed.
Every workhouse had full-time staff. The head was the governor or master. The board of guardians appointed him. He was responsible for running the workhouse and disciplining the poor. He had to visit each ward twice a day. Female inmates and children under seven were the responsibility of the matron. She also managed the general housekeeping. The master and matron were usually a married couple. They were expected to run the workhouse efficiently and cheaply.
A large workhouse, like Whitechapel, could house thousands of people. It might employ almost 200 staff. The smallest workhouses might only have a porter and an assistant nurse, besides the master and matron. A typical workhouse for 225 people had five staff members. This included a part-time chaplain and a part-time medical officer. Medical officers were often young and inexperienced due to low pay. They also had to pay for medicines and supplies themselves in most unions.
Workhouses Change and Disappear
A second wave of workhouse building started in the mid-1860s. This was because of a bad report on conditions in workhouse hospitals. By the mid-1800s, people realized workhouses were no longer just for deterring healthy poor people. The first workhouse buildings were seen as not good enough. About 150 new workhouses were built between 1840 and 1875. They used new architectural styles, like Italianate or Elizabethan. This made them look less scary and fit better into their surroundings. The gateway at Ripon, which looks like a medieval almshouse, is an example. These new buildings often had long corridors with separate wards for men, women, and children.
By 1870, the design trend changed to a "pavilion style." This was based on military hospitals. It provided bright and well-ventilated rooms. For example, Manchester Union's hospital, opened in 1878, had seven parallel buildings. Each had space for 31 beds, a day room, and toilets. By the early 1900s, new workhouses were often very modern. The Hunslet workhouse, opened in 1903, had steam boilers for heating and hot water. It also had a generator for electricity and electric lifts in the hospital section.
As early as 1841, officials saw a problem with the New Poor Law. If a poor person in a workhouse got excellent medical care, their situation could be better than a working person outside. A working person might not afford such good care.
Education for children also showed this problem. It was free in the workhouse. But "merely poor" children outside had to pay for school. Free primary education for all children in the UK didn't happen until 1918. So, in some ways, life in the workhouse was better than for those struggling outside.
By the late 1840s, most workhouses outside big cities housed only the elderly, sick, and disabled. By the end of the century, only about 20% of inmates were unemployed or truly destitute. However, about 30% of people over 70 lived in workhouses. When pensions started in 1908 for those over 70, it didn't reduce the number of elderly in workhouses. But it did reduce the number getting help at home.
In 1871, the Local Government Board took over the Poor Law. The focus shifted. Workhouses became more about caring for the sick and helpless. In 1883, London workhouse hospitals could treat non-poor people too. By the early 1900s, some workhouse hospitals even acted like private hospitals.
A Royal Commission in 1905-1909 said workhouses were not good for different types of residents. It suggested creating special places for each group. These places would have trained staff. The "deterrent" workhouses would only be for people who were lazy or homeless. In 1918, a report recommended getting rid of workhouses. It suggested other organizations take over their duties.
The Local Government Act 1929 allowed local authorities to take over workhouse hospitals. They could become public hospitals. On April 1, 1930, the workhouse system was officially abolished in the UK. However, many workhouses continued under new names, like Public Assistance Institutions. They were controlled by local councils. In 1939, almost 100,000 people, including over 5,000 children, still lived in these former workhouses.
The National Assistance Act 1948 finally ended all parts of the old Poor Law. With it, workhouses truly disappeared. Many workhouse buildings became retirement homes run by local authorities. In 1960, more than half of local elderly care was in former workhouses. Camberwell workhouse in London was a homeless shelter until 1985. Southwell Workhouse, now a museum, housed mothers and children until the early 1990s.
Different Perspectives on Workhouses
The Poor Law wasn't meant to end poverty. Poverty was seen as a normal part of life for most people. Instead, the law focused on "pauperism." This meant a person's inability to support themselves. In 1806, Patrick Colquhoun wrote that poverty was "necessary" for society. He believed without poverty, there would be no labor, and without labor, no wealth or comfort.
Historian Simon Fowler said workhouses were mostly designed for "able-bodied idlers." But he argued that this group barely existed. Workhouse life was meant to be harsh. This was to discourage healthy poor people. It ensured that only those truly desperate would apply. This idea was called "less eligibility." It meant conditions in the workhouse should be worse than for the poorest person outside.
Friedrich Engels, a revolutionary socialist, believed the 1834 New Poor Law was very cruel. He thought it forced poor people into a system that didn't fit their needs.
The purpose of workhouse labor was often unclear. In early days, it was either a punishment or a way to make money. But in the 1800s, the idea of work as punishment became less popular. People started to think work should help inmates become independent. They believed workers should only get basic living costs. This would encourage them to find jobs outside.
Workhouses in Books and Art
Workhouses provided inspiration for many artists and writers. Charles West Cope painted Board Day Application for Bread (1841). It shows a young widow asking for bread for her children. This painting came after his visit to a workhouse meeting.
The most famous workhouse story is Oliver Twist (1838) by Charles Dickens. It includes Oliver's famous line: "Please, sir, I want some more." Another popular piece was the poem In the Workhouse – Christmas Day (1877) by George Robert Sims. It starts with "It is Christmas Day in the workhouse." In his book Down and Out in Paris and London (1933), George Orwell wrote about his time in a London workhouse as a homeless person. An earlier version of this story, called "The Spike", was published in 1931.
See also
In Spanish: Workhouse para niños
