Catalogue

This article relating to how Christmas was celebrated at the Stoke-upon-Trent workhouse compared with that of the Wolstanton and Burslem workhouse which was situated in the north of the city at Chell.

Each Christmas was almost a re-run of the previous year. The height of the day would be roast beef and plumb pudding. Ar the Stoke workhouse, this was served by the govenor and staff, whist at Chell they always celebrated Christmas on the 26th why – because the staff wanted the day off with their families. A gift for the women would be a small packet of tea and sugar while the men had tobacco. The young children had a mixture of treats normally donated by the shop keepers of the nearby town.

The afternoos is where entertainment was brought into the workhouse, which provided a much needed rest from the normal works of the day. As usual the govenor finished the day off with prayers in addition to saying Grace before the meal was served.

Two pages A4

This work is a totally one off as it covers extracts from 1714 regulations of the Spittals Workhouse, Stoke-upon-Trent relating to the admission, cleansing, disinfecting clothing and searching of inmates for any valuables.

It describes the experiences on admission to the Institution, articles of value found upon the inmate shall were deposited with the Master, any money or value security in his possession will be used to off-set their maintenance within the institution.

It continues to list the items that are prohibited such as Cards or Dice, Letters, articles or written or printed matter of an obscene or improper character. The reference to the bathing of inmates is quite scary. This is an early view of life in 1714 under the Old Poor Law of Elizabeth I and an eye-opener again to the treatment of inmates both male and female.

This project is a focus of the life of children in the middle of the 1800’s. It is a focus is the life of the young, how they were treated in the workhouse and within the working environment. It’s not an easy read as it quotes extensively the experiences of life by many children from as early as 6/7 as they had to go out to work in support of their family. Illustrated with photographs of the time and a worthy read to place life at that time into context and how children were treated in so many ways. Breadwinners, because of the system of wages being paid in the street corner pub, were encouraged by the landlord to have more to drink as he claimed he had not enough change to pay them from a £5 note from the foreman who held the pay for all under him. Many wives, along with their children, would stand outside imploring their husbands to come out before all their wages were spent. But would often return home with a drunken spouse in the certain knowledge they would be evicted the following week as there was no money for the rent or food. For many families the breadwinner would just walk out, leaving his wife and children to the mercies of the Poor Law system, or to survive on just a few pence from the relieving officer. For others, because of industrial disease, many mothers were left widowed at an early age. Against this background of need and lack of sustenance, there was also a lack of education except that offered by Sunday schools.

Breadwinners, because of the system of wages being paid in the street corner pub, were encouraged by the landlord to have more to drink as he claimed he had not enough change to pay them from a £5 note from the foreman who held the pay for all under him. Many wives, along with their children, would stand outside imploring their husbands to come out before all their wages were spent. But would often return home with a drunken spouse in the certain knowledge they would be evicted the following week as there was no money for the rent or food. For many families the breadwinner would just walk out, leaving his wife and children to the mercies of the Poor Law system, or to survive on just a few pence from the relieving officer. For others, because of industrial disease, many mothers were left widowed at an early age. Against this background of need and lack of sustenance, there was also a lack of education except that offered by Sunday schools.

3 x A4 pages

Few if any historians have approached this subject on the basis that few workhouses had little provision for the sick. At Stoke upon Trent workhouse as early as 1842 provision was made both for inmates but also for the parish community outside as no other facility had yet been provided. The Stoke upon Trent Hospital was erected in a central position with the workhouse and the building still remains as listed by English Heritage.

The study starts from the first thoughts of providing this facility, the number and descriptions of rooms and wards. Focus is made on one report that has survived and stored in the National Archives. It’s a complaint by someone in the community who wrote to the poor law in London to complain how he had been treated. Mention was made of his time in a lunatic ward, having to share a double bed with five other sick inmates – the list is endless and would make good reading for all who are keen to learn of the early years of medicine and the treatment of patients in workhouses.

two x A4 pages