Workhouse
A workhouse was an institution designed to provide shelter and basic provisions to impoverished individuals in exchange for labor. Most notably prevalent in the United Kingdom from the 1600s to the 1900s, these facilities arose significantly after the Poor Relief Act of 1601, which aimed to address economic hardships by collecting taxpayer funds to support the needy. Individuals seeking assistance had to apply and be interviewed to determine their eligibility for admission. Once accepted, residents, often referred to as inmates, were separated by gender and capability, with tasks divided along gender lines—women typically handling domestic chores while men engaged in manual labor.
Despite offering essential services such as food and shelter, many workhouses suffered from poor living conditions, overcrowding, and insufficient medical care. As societal needs evolved and regulations changed, many workhouses began to close or transform into hospitals and other public assistance facilities by the early 20th century. Today, the legacy of workhouses serves as a complex reminder of historical social welfare practices and the ongoing dialogue surrounding poverty and assistance.
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Workhouse
A workhouse was an institution where impoverished people worked in exchange for living quarters and other provisions. Workhouses were popular in parts of Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, during the 1600s and 1700s. However, these facilities existed for centuries prior to this time. Workhouses provided people with shelter, food, and other necessities in return for work, but many had poor living conditions. They existed until the twentieth century, when many closed or became hospitals and other public assistance institutions.
Overview
While workhouses existed before the seventeenth century, they became common in the United Kingdom after Parliament passed the Poor Relief Act in 1601. The goal of the act was to reduce economic depression, unemployment, and famine throughout the country. The Poor Relief Act collected money from taxpayers to take care of the poor, sick, elderly, and others who could not work.
By the 1620s, workhouses were handing out provisions such as food, clothing, and money in exchange for work. Many taxpayers feared that some people were taking advantage of the workhouses. They wanted to ensure that those who really needed help the most were receiving assistance from the workhouses. To deter people who did not really need assistance, the workhouses were expanded to include housing. They also instituted strict rules. They mandated that all people who received assistance reside and work at the workhouses. Many workhouses opened throughout Britain in the 1700s. By the 1770s, more than two thousand were located throughout the country.
People entered workhouses on a voluntary basis. However, they could not just show up and receive shelter. Instead, they had to apply for spots in the house. They met with a relieving officer who interviewed them and determined if they were deserving of a spot at the house. The officer then issued them an "offer of the house." Families who were accepted had to enter and leave workhouses together. Workhouses also accepted people in need who were unable to work due to medical conditions or illness. The workhouses provided the sick and elderly with shelter, food, and medical care if needed and available.
Once in the workhouses, the people, sometimes called inmates, were given uniforms, food, and bathes. Men, women, and children and the able and sick were separated. Those who could work were assigned jobs. Women usually performed domestic chores, while men focused on manual labor. Families reunited briefly for a specified time during the week. Inmates could leave the workhouses temporarily or permanently at any time.
The conditions at many of the workhouses were very poor. They were cramped and dirty, and food was scarce and not very appetizing. The houses provided communal sleeping quarters and dining areas. Medical care was basically nonexistent until laws forced the workhouses to build separate medical facilities. By the end of the 1800s, workhouses employed trained nurses to care for the sick at the medical facilities. They also began to allow non-inmates to seek medical treatment and other services at the workhouses.
As time passed, many of the workhouses closed as the need for them diminished. Once the laws that regulated them were changed, many workhouses were forced to close. Others were demolished or repurposed into public hospitals. Some workhouses were turned into public assistance institutions for the sick, elderly, and homeless.
Bibliography
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Hodgman, Charlotte. "History Explorer: Life in the Victorian Workhouse." BBC History Magazine, 17 Oct. 2016, www.historyextra.com/article/premium/history-life-victorian-workhouse. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.
Hodgman, Charlotte. "The Rise and Fall of the Workhouse." BBC History Magazine, 20 Dec. 2010, www.historyextra.com/article/premium/workhouse-victorian-workers-britain-poor. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.
Hudson, Christopher. "Workhouse of Horrors: How This Medieval Hell of Beatings and Sack Cloth Exists within Living Memory." Daily Mail, 12 Aug. 2008, www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1044152/Workhouse-horrors-How-medieval-hell-beatings-sack-cloth-exists-living-memory.html. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.
"Introduction." Workhouses.org, www.workhouses.org.uk/intro. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.
"Punished for Being Poor: London's Forgotten Workhouses." Londonist, londonist.com/2014/04/punished-for-being-poor-londons-forgotten-workhouses. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.
Trueman, C.N. "The Poor in Elizabethan England." History Learning Site, 16 Aug. 2016, www.historylearningsite.co.uk/tudor-england/the-poor-in-elizabethan-england. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.
"Workhouses." London Lives, www.londonlives.org/static/Workhouses.jsp. Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.