Workhouses: Country Patterns


Figure 1.--Note how at this English work house that the older boys wear frocks just like those of the infants. Notice that all of the children wear the same simple frock, infants and boys alike. In addition there appears to be only one or two sizes and as a result, the older boys' frocks were quite short. There was no attempt to give more mature clothing to the boys as they grew up.

Work houses were established in many European countries, Canad and America. Most of the information we have been able to obtain, however comes from British sources. This is because the workhouse system was much more developed in Britain than anywhere else in the world. iThe British sources also cover Ireland which was part of the United Kingdom in the 19th century. The English workhouse dates back to the 17th century, although it is the 19th century workhouse that is most in the popular mind. The workhouse in Englnd was not abolished until 1929. Conditions in Irish work houses were even more horendous than in England. The situation in America was somewhat different than Britain, in part because the the Frontier and a less strict class system offered opportunities that were not available to the British poor. Several other countries had workhouses or similar facilities to care for the destitute. We know little about these institutions in other countries, but have begun to acquire some informaion.

Australia

We have no information on workhouses in Bitish colonies like Australia. We do not know if any existed.

Belgium

There were five workhouses in Belgium: La Cambré, Bruges, Hoogstraeten, Mons and Reickheim.

Canada

Workhouses existed throughout all of the United Kingdom, in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Unlike Ebgland, workhouses in Canada are not well known. We suspect that this reflects the fact that they were less important than in England. One Canadian reader tells us that he has seen no evidence of them in Canada. Another reader tell us that they did exist and were called 'Houses of Industry'. We have very littlke infornation on these Canadian facilities. We know that there was one in Totanto, located on Elm Street in downtown. It was demolished in the early 1950s and was replaced by modern office buildings. [Alcock]

England

The institutions established in London and Westminster during the reign of Charles II, which are commonly referred to as the first English work-houses, were in reality houses of correction to which vagabonds and other petty offenders were committed. The 1601 Poor Law Act gave responsibility to local parishes for looking after very poor people, who were able to claim assistance from the parish's householders. Poor people were able to live at home when they were getting parish relief. The The idea was common at that time that a workhouse, in the literal sense of the word, could be made an effective discouragement of unnecessary pauperism. In 1676 John Gary, a merchant of Bristol, brought about the building and opening of a workhouse in that city. Gary's experiment was so successful that it was followed in many other cities. The abuses of outdoor relief resulted in the appointment of the Poor Law Commission of 1832 and the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. With the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act people receiving help from the parish had to live in a workhouse and could no longer live at home. This began the era which most think of when the image of the workhouse comes up. In return for parish relief, they would be made to work hard in the workhouse; which is how the term originated. The principal was laudiable and enlightened. The British Government in threory accepted responsibility for providing shelter and food for every man, woman and child who was destitute. Unfortunastely they fulfilled this responsibility in such a way that poverty was even further more stigmatized than it already was. The English work house endured into the 20th century. As late as 1926 there were 226,000 inmates and around 600 workhouses with an average population of about 400 inmates each. I have no information on the workhouse situation, but while they were still teribly depressing places, presumably conditions were much improved. Parliament in 1929 passed the Local Government Act which abolished workhouses. Responsibility for the poor was given to county borough and county councils.

France

We have no information on French poor houses at this time.

Germany

Germany until 1871 and te formation of the short-lived German Empire was divided into many different countries and principaities. The two most important were Austria and Prussia, but there were other states of some importance such as Bavaria. Workhouse and poor relief efforts thus varied among the many principalities. We have no information, however on German work houses at this time.

Ireland

The primary government institution that children involve children is of course schools. There are other important instituions for children, especially charity institutions. The two most important here are the work house and orphanage. Our informtion is limited, but as best we can tell these institutions were similar to those in England, but there were definite differences. Of course until after World War I, Ireland was not divided. Thus there are no separate stories for southern and northern Ireland. There is a sad history of work houses in Ireland. And by the time the division took place (1920s), the work houses were being closed throughout the United Kingsom. Workhouses existed in Ireland before the 19th century, but on a relatively limited scale. The Irish Parliament passed an Act (1703) which set up a House of Industry in Dublin 'for the employment and maintaining the poor thereof'. [O'Connor] Authorities had the authority to commit people and to punish those already there. The punishments included flogging, imprisonment, and deportation. These houses were set up at various sites throughout Ireland. Ireland became part of Great Britain under the Act of Union during the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars (1801). The British government attempted to address the problem of widespread poverty in Ireland A succession of Parliamentary Select Committees (1804, 1819, 1823, and 1830) achived next to nothing. And there were virtual non-stop Royal Commissions and Special Committees of Enquiry which investigated the situation in Ireland (1800-40). The British Government seemed more concerned about Irish emigration to England than in dealing with the poverty problem. Parliament passed the landmark 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act which made the work house the only form of poor relief in England and Wales. Parliament decided that this was not suitable for Ireland. Parliament thus passed the ground breakinhg Irish Poor Law Act (1838), just before the horiffic Irish Polato Famine. It proved a disaster. Some 130 workhouses were constructed. Many of these imposing, if forboding tructures still exist.Construction was still underway when the Potato Famine occurred. Men woman and children died insused and outdside the poor houses waiting to be admitted. Until the Potato Famine few Irish people emigrated to Ameruca. Catholocism was a factor. The Potato Famine disaster changed that and the Irish became the first large group of European Catholics to reach America.

(The) Netherlands

The Dutch had three workhouses: Amsterdam, Nieuwe Pekela and Middleburgh.

New Zealand

We have no information on workhouses in Bitish colonies like Ne Zealand. We do not know if any existed.

Norway

)Norway had a women's workhouse (the Manufakturhuset) in Bergen.

Scotland

Workhouses existed throughout all of the United Kingdom in the 19th century, in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We have limited specific information on Scottish workhouses at this time. The system develooped in Scotalnd to provide relief to the poor was quite different than the Engklish system. The Scottish system was based on voluntary giving. In Scotland legal assessments to find the work houses could be enacted, but were mostly introduced in the larger towns during the 1830s when the English Poor Law Amendments created tge workhouse system. Many Scottish Parishes refused to give any allouances. Scotland created a Royal Commission as a result of a report. The result was the 1845 Poor Law Act was passed requiring that all those entitled actually received an allowance. A Board of Supervision was set up, but in Scotland poorrelief continued to be administered by each Parish. Some information is available at Workhouses in Scotland.

United States

The situation in America was somewhat different than Britain, in part because the the Frontier and a less strict class system offered opportunities that were not available to the British poor. There was no national workhouse system in America. This was an issue addressed by local governments. The workhouse or house of correction in the United States is not a feature of the poor-law system of a commonwealth, but of its system of penology. It is usually a developed or modified county jail. The nearest American approach to such a test of aid-deserving poverty as the English workhouse is found in the woodyards and laundries maintained by charity organization societies. We have also noticed the term "poorhouse" being used, but have little information about actual facilities. Municipal or county officials in the second quarter of the 19th century began opening poorgouses. This was most common in areas being affected by the industrial revolution. Many believed that the workhouses opened in England were a progressive approch to the problem of poverty that should be followed in America. The proponents believe that it would be an inexpensive way of dealing with the problem of poverty as well as offer an opportunity to reform the poor. These optimistic projections proved to be eronious. The poorhouses proved to be more expensive to operate than had been anticipated. In addition, the same kind of abuses that occurred in the English workhouses also occurred in America. The poorhouse system declined after the Civil War (1861-65). This was because laws were passed mandating that veterans be cared for by other means. Many states all prohibited the care of children in poor houses. These steps were taken because poorhouses were seen as as coersive facilities to reformed individuals that because of character faults or bad habbits were poor. Such facilities were inappropriate for both veterans and children.

Wales

Workhouses existed throughout all of the United Kingdom in the 19th century, in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We have no specific information on Welsh workhouses at this time. We believe that the Welsh system was essentially the same as that in England. Some information is available at Workhouses in Wales.

Sources

Alcock, James. E-mail message, August 21, 2003.

O'Connor, John. Workhouses of Ireland: The Fate of Ireland's Poor.







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Created: September 12, 2002
Last updated: 8:18 AM 5/4/2018