The workhouse

POVERTY in past times was epitomised by the workhouse that has earned its place in English social history as the last resort for the poor and destitute. The conditions that prevailed have been immortalised by Charles Dickens in his novel Oliver Twist, written against the background of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 which forced impoverished husbands, wives and children into separate institutions.

Until then, each parish provided cash relief to deserving cases but this was becoming expensive and the system often abused and the government decided to impose a stricter procedure under which able-bodied men who could not find work had no option but to enter the workhouse, taking their families with them.

Bourne already had a workhouse that stood in North Street near the junction with Burghley Street which was then called Workhouse Road but this was too small and so a new building was planned at the end of Union Street, now St Peter's Road, built in 1836 at a cost of over £5,000 with room for 300 paupers and run by a Board of Guardians.

The Board of Guardians in 1905

It was rarely full because admission was discouraged by the guardians who enforced a strict regime in an attempt to persuade the poor to seek employment rather than live in such grim and uncongenial surroundings. In 1841, there were only 84 inmates who were not generally treated with much sympathy. Productive work was not encouraged, rules were strict and there were no luxuries. The equivalent of 5p per person per day was spent on the inmates and that included clothing. Other cash help was also provided for the poor in their homes, there being a great resistance to entering the workhouse and some who could not face the stigma took drastic action such a inflicting self harm or even committing suicide.

It was a hard life but there were treats for the inmates on special occasions such as Christmas Day and in 1877 they were provided with a dinner of roast beef and plum pudding and entertained by a local group of musicians and afterwards the children received presents of toys from underneath a Christmas tree with sweets for the women and tobacco for the men. These luxuries were paid for by wealthy townspeople who often dropped in to see how their money was being spent and to receive the thanks of the inmates.

Workhouse children on parade in 1890

The guardians also ensured that they were appreciative of this charity and in 1923, one of them, an eleven-year-old boy, no doubt guided by matron, wrote thanking them for providing such a happy Christmas and the lovely toys which Santa Claus had brought them. The letter concluded: "From one of the grateful little boys."

The workhouse also catered for tramps passing through the district who received lodging and a meal of bread and gruel for perhaps one or two nights in return for some menial work such as chopping wood or sweeping floors. These vagrants had been known to cause trouble, and even to bring lice into the workhouse, and as a result, the guardians decided in 1868 that everyone should be searched and given a bath before being admitted.

The disgrace of the workhouse remained until improvements in social conditions brought about its gradual decline and in 1930, the premises were converted into St Peter's Hospital but that facility also came to an end 60 years later and the building was pulled down in 2001.