Visit The Workhouse website to access extensive information about workhouses. The ‘records and resources’ section may help you find out which local archives hold workhouse records.
Can I access workhouse records?
Few workhouse records are online, so the best place to start is often the County Record Office local to the institution. You will need to know roughly when your ancestor was in the workhouse and, if it was after 1834, which Poor Law Union their parish belonged to.
What happens if you died in the workhouse?
If such an individual died, their death would be recorded as being in the workhouse infirmary, although their family might well be living outside the workhouse. If an inmate died in the workhouse, the death was notified to their family who could, if they wished, organize a funeral themselves.
Why would someone be born in a workhouse?
Usually, it was because they were too poor, old or ill to support themselves. This may have resulted from such things as a lack of work during periods of high unemployment, or someone having no family willing or able to provide care for them when they became elderly or sick.
What is London workhouse admission and discharge records?
Admission and discharge records: These records will tell you the name and age of the person in the workhouse, prior address, marital condition, occupation and whether they were capable of working. Apprenticeship papers: These records may give you parents’ names and conditions, as well as the apprentice’s name.
Can you access public records in the UK?
You can request any recorded information held by a public authority. This includes electronic and paper records, photographs and recordings. The law give you the right to access information that is already held. There is no obligation for a public authority to create information or provide explanations or advice.
When were workhouses abolished in the UK?
1 April 1930
The workhouse system was abolished in the UK by the same Act on 1 April 1930, but many workhouses, renamed Public Assistance Institutions, continued under the control of local county councils.
What were the three harshest rules of the workhouse?
Rules: The daily work was backed up with strict rules and punishments. Laziness, drinking, gambling and violence against other inmates or staff were strictly forbidden. Other offences included insubordination, using abusive language and going to Milford without permission.
What was a workhouse howl?
Being a ‘pauper’ involved great unhappiness. The ‘workhouse wail’, an animal-like scream of pain and despair, was described by Henry Mayhew. Such misery is well described by Charlie Chaplin. Aged 7, his brother Sydney and mother entered Newington Workhouse in May 1896.
How did people sleep in the workhouses?
Inmates were usually provided with sheets, blankets (two over and one underneath the sleeper, a coverlet and a pillow. Bed-sharing, particularly amongst children, was common although it became prohibited for adult paupers. Early iron beds from Gressenhall workhouse.
What was eaten in a workhouse?
In November of 1845 the diet of the Workhouse inmates consisted primarily of bread, meat, potatoes, sweet milk, sour milk, oatmeal and tea. All of these were supplied to the Workhouse by various contractors, most of whom were local.
Why was it considered shameful to live in a workhouse?
Living in a workhouse was the last thing people wanted to do. If a man with a family had to enter a workhouse, his whole family had to go with him. It was thought to be shameful because it meant he could not look after his own family and he could not get a job.
Is a workhouse the same as jail?
Workhouse is the term used for a jail or penal institution for criminals who are convicted for short sentences. Generally the criminals in workhouses are those who have committed minor offenses. The keeper of a workhouse has powers analogous to those of a jailer.
Does ancestry have workhouse records?
What’s Included in This Database: This collection includes selected admission and discharge records for workhouses created and administered under the Poor Law Acts in London. The exact information you can find about your ancestors varies according to the record.
Can you leave a Victorian workhouse?
In return for their bed and board they would have to complete a set amount of work, such as breaking up stones or unravelling old rope for oakum. In theory, inmates were not allowed to leave the workhouse, except for specific reasons such as looking for work.
How long did workhouses last?
Historians are still debating when exactly the workhouse system came to an end. Some date its demise to 1930 when the Board of Guardians system was abolished and many workhouses were redesignated as Public Assistance Institutions, becoming the responsibility of local councils.
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Can you search the National Archives for free?
You will be required to register for a free account on our website and be logged in to be able to download documents. To find records that are available to download for free, filter your search results in Discovery to include records that are ‘available for download only’.
What were the 3 poor laws?
National level – 1601 Poor Law
Poor Laws were key pieces of legislation: they brought in a compulsory nationwide Poor Rate system. everyone had to contribute and those who refused would go to jail. begging was banned and anyone caught was whipped and sent back to their place of birth.
How old were the children in the workhouse?
The original scheme of classification of inmates categorized females under 16 as ‘girls’ and males under 13 as ‘boys’, with those aged under seven forming a separate class. It probably came as a surprise to the Commissioners that, by 1839, almost half of the workhouse population (42,767 out of 97,510) were children.