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The Parish poor and the
Workhouse
John Rigarlsford
Local parishioners at Axbridge Workhouse
The 1834 Poor law Union
workhouse.
In
1831 an average of 8s.1d per person per annum was spent on the
relief and accommodation of the poor and destitute.
In order to make
the accommodation and care of the poor more economical, in 1834 the
Union Workhouse act was introduced.
This enabled the
establishment of large Workhouses or Poor Law Institutions that would
cater for a larger area or Union of parishes. The conditions and rules
in these larger establishments were sometimes even more harsh and
impersonal than the local poorhouse.
However for some, such as unemployed farm servants, the facilities were
better than living in the unsanitary and tumbledown hovels that
they were sometimes forced to call home!
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Workhouse women.
The old, the infirm, the
handicapped and the able bodied poor were all accommodated
together.
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Husbands and
wives were separated into dormitories and not allowed to meet, and many
children were housed separately from their parents on the premise of
giving them a Christian upbringing.
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Workhouse children.
Orphaned and children of long term inmates were given basic
education and training. And often from the age of 12 years, were
apprenticed for up to seven years to work in the local community as
domestic servants and farm labourers etc. where their masters were
liable for their welfare.
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| All able-bodied
inmates, men, women and children were put to work locally or on
onerous tasks such as scrubbing floors, laundry, breaking stones and
picking Oakum. |
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Women picking Oakum.
(Short lengths of
tarred rope which had to be unpicked to be re-used for ramming between the
planks on ships to make the decks etc watertight)
Note: These images are
not from the Axbridge Workhouse. |
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The Axbridge Poor Law Union came into being in 1836. It was governed by a Board of Guardians, representing the 38 parishes of
the Union.
Axbridge, Badgworth, Banwell, Berrow, Biddisham, Blagdon, Bleadon, Brean, East Brent, South Brent, Burnham with Aston Morris, Burrington, Butcombe, Chapel Allerton, Charterhouse,
Cheddar, Christon, Churchill, Compton Bishop, Congresbury, Hutton, Kewstoke, Locking, Loxton, Lympsham, Mark, Nyland with Batcombe, Puxton, Rowberrow, Shipham, Uphill, Weare,
Wedmore, Weston-super-Mare, Wick St Lawrence, Winscombe, Worle, Wrington with Broadfield.
Later Additions: Brent Knoll, North Highbridge, South Highbridge (from 1896).
(Note: South Brent at that time, is the area we now call Brent Knoll. Its possible that the name Brent
Knoll replaced South Brent in the Union records in 1896. when it came into everyday use? .JR).
The population within the Union of parishes at the 1831 census had been 28,794 with parishes ranging in size from Nyland with
Batcombe (population 52) to Wedmore (3,557).
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A new Axbridge Union workhouse was erected in 1837 at the south side of West Street in Axbridge at a cost of £4,496.17s.6d
the building was intended to accommodate 250 inmates The site location and layout are shown on the 1929 OS map by which time the workhouse had become officially known as
Axbridge Poor Law Institution. |
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The Axbridge Workhouse. circa 2000.
Many workhouses were imposing buildings but hiding stark interiors!
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Initially, workhouse medical facilities were often minimal and were sometimes under the charge of a local doctor,
The majority of inmates were undernourished or infirm etc. so gradually hospital and isolation wards were added. Later these facilities were made available to the general
public and became the local Hospitals and Infirmaries for the area.
A separate Infirmary block was added to the Axbridge Workhouse in 1903. The workhouse was in use until the 1930's The workhouse buildings later became St Johns
Hospital. The Hospital closed in 1993 and has now been converted for residential use. |
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Fortunately, for the poor and destitute within the Axbridge Union Area, The Axbridge Workhouse was mostly run, as humanely as
was possible subject to the rules and regulations laid down at the time. |
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Richard Trew the Mayor of Axbridge was appointed Clerk to the Board of Guardians of the Axbridge Union almost from its beginning
until his death in 1874 was responsible for the setting up, overseeing the conduct, the administration and the running of the workhouse. Richard Trew had a
humanitarian view of the poor and needy and worked tirelessly for their needs.
From: The Book by Virginia and Stanley Castle
ISBN 0 - 9521777 - 0 - 6
Richard Trew 1793 - 1874
MAYOR OF AXBRIDGE
A History of Axbridge
in the Nineteenth Century
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Local parishioners at Axbridge Workhouse
The
following is a partial
list of East Brent Parishioners who were recorded as inmates
etc. in the records of the Axbridge Union Workhouse.
This list is copyright and part of an
ongoing study and transcription being carried out by Ms. Pat Hase.
Sec. and members of the Weston Super Mare Family History
Society.
It is published here with
the kind permission of the Sec. of WSM Family History Soc. |
|
Surname |
Forenames |
Date |
Event |
Location |
Occupation |
Age |
Relat |
Con |
Mother |
Parish Born |
Paying Parish |
notes |
|
ANDREWS |
Charlotte |
24
November 1858 |
Gave
birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
Single
woman |
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
to
Henry |
|
ANDREWS |
Henry |
24
November 1858 |
Birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
s/o |
|
Charlotte |
|
East
Brent |
|
|
ATYEO |
Ann |
30
March 1851 |
1851
Census |
Axbridge Workhouse |
General
Servant |
54 |
|
un |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
|
|
BAGG |
Albert
Edward |
02
April 1871 |
1871
Census |
East
Brent |
Scholar |
5 |
s/o |
|
Sarah |
SOM
East Brent |
|
with
mother & siblings including Jane aged 2 |
|
BAGG |
Albert
Edward |
03
April 1881 |
1881
Census |
Bristol, St Paul's, 82 Martin Street |
Printer's Apprentice |
15 |
s/o |
un |
Sarah |
SOM
East Brent |
|
s/o
widowed mother, living in shared accommodation with her and younger
sister |
|
BAGG |
Albert
Edward |
31
March 1901 |
1901
Census |
Bristol, St Nicholas, 7 King Street |
Printer's Compositor |
35 |
|
un |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
|
|
BAGG |
Jane |
02
April 1871 |
1871
Census |
East
Brent |
|
2 |
d/o |
|
Sarah |
SOM
East Brent |
|
with
mother & siblings including Albert aged 5 |
|
BAGG |
Jane |
12 June
1877 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
9 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
East
Brent Churchyard |
|
BAKER |
----
(male) |
26 May
1861 |
Birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
s/o |
|
Jane |
|
East
Brent |
Single
woman |
|
BAKER |
Henry
(2) |
01 July
1865 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
59 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BAKER |
Jane |
26 June
1861 |
Gave
birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
Single
woman |
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
to male
child |
|
BAKER |
Kenrick |
11
October 1848 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
27 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BAKER |
Maria |
21
March 1879 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
83 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
Weare
Churchyard |
|
BAWDEN |
James |
02
April 1871 |
1871
Census |
Bristol
Rd., East Brent |
Mason |
30 |
|
un |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
|
|
BAWDEN |
James |
03
April 1881 |
1881
Census |
Love
Lane, Burnham, Somerset |
No
occupation |
46 |
Head |
mar |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
Deaf,
with wife, son and step-son |
|
BINDING |
Emma |
04
December 1840 |
Gave
birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
Single
woman |
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
to
Joseph |
|
BINDING |
Joseph |
04
December 1840 |
Birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
s/o |
|
Emma |
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BOWLER |
Charity |
29
August 1857 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
84 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BOYCE |
----
(male) |
05
January 1845 |
Birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
s/o |
|
Harriet |
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BOYCE |
Harriet |
05
January 1845 |
Gave
birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
Single
woman |
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
to male
child, still born |
|
BROWN |
Charles |
30
March 1851 |
1851
Census |
Axbridge Workhouse |
General
Labourer |
80 |
|
un |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
|
|
BROWN |
Charles |
31
March 1851 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
80 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BRYANT |
Robert |
22
August 1856 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
27 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
|
|
BURROWS |
Robert |
02
February 1847 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
67 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
|
|
CHANT |
Thomas |
16
March 1910 |
Discharge |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
own
request |
|
COOMBES |
Martha |
03
April 1881 |
1881
Census |
Factory
Lane, East Brent |
|
43 |
wife |
mar |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
Wife of
Robert (Farm Lab), with three children |
|
COOMBES |
Martha |
18 May
1910 |
Admission |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
Wife of
Robert (Farm Lab) |
|
COOMBS |
Samuel |
08
December 1881 |
Discharge |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
By
request |
|
COOMBS |
Thomas
(1) |
03
April 1881 |
1881
Census |
East
Brent, Turnpike Rd |
Farm
Labourer |
68 |
Head |
wid |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
Head,
Living alone |
|
COOMBS |
Thomas
(1) |
05
April 1891 |
1891
Census |
Axbridge Workhouse |
Ag Lab |
75 |
|
wid |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
|
|
COOMBS |
Thomas
(1) |
26
March 1815 |
Christening |
East
Brent |
|
|
son |
|
Sarah |
SOM
East Brent |
|
|
|
COOMBS |
Thomas
(1) |
30
March 1851 |
1851
Census |
East
Brent |
Ag Lab |
36 |
|
wid |
|
SOM
East Brent |
|
Head,
living with 6 children, A, widow, his 13 year old daughter, Eliza is
looking after the family, Charles, 13, Henry, 9, James 8, Charlotte 5 &
Thomas 2 |
|
COOMER |
Hannah |
02
April 1871 |
1871
Census |
Rooksbridge |
Ag
Lab’s wife |
68 |
wife |
mar |
|
SOM
Cossington |
|
Wife of
William Coomer |
|
COOMER |
Hannah |
01
August 1879 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
80 |
|
|
|
|
East
Brent |
East
Brent Churchyard |
|
COUNSELL |
----
(female) |
12
September 1862 |
Birth |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
|
d/o |
|
Elizabeth |
|
East
Brent |
Single
woman, surviving twin, other still born |
|
COUNSELL |
Ann |
23
December 1844 |
Death |
Axbridge Workhouse |
|
18 |
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