What was life like in a Victorian Workhouse

What was life like in a Victorian Workhouse?

Recap! What is the difference between children from poor families and children from rich families? What types of jobs do children from poor families have to complete?

What happens if your poor? What support do you get? Where would you live?

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? app=deskt op&v=Bbd. Ngb. COq_s How do you think Oliver felt as he was going up? Do you know what a workhouse is? Do you know why Oliver Twist is in a workhouse?

The Poor Law 1834 In the Victorian times, people had very different ideas about how to help poor people. They believed the reason people were poor was because of laziness, drunkenness, or crimes, so viewed them quite harshly. If people wanted help they had to go into a workhouse to get it. The poor were given clothes and food in the workhouse in exchange for several hours of manual labour each day. Families were split up inside the workhouse.

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? app=deskt op&v=bly. Yxp. Nbge. U

Workhouse Life Workhouses were where poor people who had no job or home lived. They earned their keep by doing jobs in the workhouse. Also in the workhouses were orphaned (children without parents) and abandoned children, the physically and mentally sick, the disabled, the elderly and unmarried mothers. Workhouses became known for their terrible conditions, forced child labour, long hours, malnutrition, beatings and neglect. They operated with prison like conditions. Surviving in such places proved perilous, as mortality rates were high especially with diseases such as smallpox and measles spreading like wildfire.

Conditions were cramped with beds squashed together, hardly any room to move and with little light. When they were not in their sleeping corners, the inmates were expected to work. The conditions were harsh and treatment was cruel with families divided, forcing children to be separated from their parents. Women, children and men had different living and working areas in the workhouse, so families were split up. To make things even worse they could be punished if they even tried to speak to one another!

The education the children received did not include the two most important skills of all, reading and writing, which were needed to get a good job. The poor were made to wear a uniform. This meant that everyone looked the same and everyone outside knew they were poor and lived in the workhouse. Upon entering the workhouse, the poor were stripped and bathed (under supervision). The food was tasteless and was the same day after day. The young and old as well as men and women were made to work hard, often doing unpleasant jobs. Children could also find themselves 'hired out' (sold) to work in factories or mines.

'Work' consisted of oakum-picking, stone-breaking, bone-crushing, sack-making or driving the corn mill. Oakum is old rope, sometimes tarred or knotted. These ropes had to be unpicked inch by inch and a day's work would be to unravel 3 lbs. of rope. The corn mill was driven by inmates walking round on a treadwheel. Women had to do domestic work: scrubbing floors that were already clear, polishing brasses, scrubbing table tops, black-leading kitchen ranges and so on. On admission, an inmate's clothes were removed and stored. They were searched, washed, had their hair cropped and were given workhouse clothing. This consisted of, for a woman: a shapeless, waist less dress which reached the ankles, made of striped (convict-style) fabric, a shapeless shift, long stockings (in Rotherham workhouse these were bright yellow) and knee-length drawers. She also was given a poke-bonnet. A man was given a striped shirt, illfitting trousers (the length being adjusted at the knee with a piece of string), thick vest, woollen drawers and socks, a neckerchief and (in winter) a coarse jacket. Children were similarly dressed. All

Prison Life Prisoners today get 3 meals a day Some get to wear their own clothes others get a uniform to wear that is washed regularly and looked after. Prisoners do not have to do ‘jobs’ however have to complete activities each day.

Which was worse? Being in a workhouse or being in prison? Why? What is better having holes in your shoes and torn clothes or having very little food? Why?

Rank the horrors of a workhouse from best to worst and explain your reasoning.