WORKSOP WORKHOUSE
AND
MEMORIES OF WORKSOP

IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (UK)

The Eastgate workhouse, sometimes called Victoria Hall, was built "on the Common" in 1837 at a cost of £4,400 in order to house 200 inmates. The union which built the workhouse was comprised of 26 parishes & townships, a few of them being in Yorkshire & some in Derbyshire.

Worksop Workhouse 1837- circa 1965

The new workhouse replaced an earlier one which had 18 inmates in 1795. The woman who "attended" the old workhouse was paid 5 guineas (£5.25) & had free bed and board. Very little work was done in this old workhouse, but the "out-poor" were supplied with flax for spinning & received 1d (0.42p) for every 300 yards of spun thread. Few were able to earn even 4d (less than 2p) a day. In 1826 we hear the old workhouse was a former private dwelling on Lead Hill & was rented from the Duke of Norfolk at a rent of £26 10s (£26.50p). The old workhouse was in an area popularly called "Bedlam Square". In 1834 a report states that 107 people received outdoor relief & that there were 32 inmates (19 men & 13 women) in the house, which was very crowded & clearly a new workhouse was needed.

The new workhouse was opened in 1837 and was to remain in use for nearly 100 years of Worksop history, finally closing in 1930. It was demolished about 1965.

In 1843 we read that a female pauper was given 9d (3.78p) worth of bread & 3d (1.25p) in cash before being turned away for the night. She spent the night " in a common privvy" & was brought to the workhouse when found in the morning. She died shortly after. The charitable Rev George Mason, chair of the Board of Guardians, then censured the relieving officer for being over-generous with the woman.

In a report of 1850 the Master of the Workhouse reports "We are mostly annoyed with vagrants ... and a great many Irish. This is an increasing evil, we had 148 last week, 20 more applied who we were not able to lodge ... I do not think the greater part of these men are in search of work, they are people who make a tradition of tramping and begging; they beg and steal and they know that they have always the Union Workhouse to fall back upon."

1841 ----- 51 inmates (14 children including 3 babies).
1849 ----- 84 inmates
1851 ----- 137 inmates (including 74 children)
1881 ----- 99 inmates (including 5 babies)
1899 ----- 130 inmates

The Workhouse in 1861

The Master of the workhouse at this time was Thomas Booth; he was assisted by a Matron, a School Mistress, a Nurse and a Porter. All these had accomodation in the workhouse. There would be other staff who went home after work, for instance a cook.

The Porter was called James Blatherwick, aged 30. He was born at Saxondale. Blatherwick is an ancient, Nottinghamshire surname; there is more to be found about this fascinating family name elsewhere on this website. Click here to investigate the Blatherwicks!

There were 99 residents living in the Eastgate workhouse at this time: clearly numbers fluctuated over the years and also numbers, no doubt, varied depending on the time of year. Of the 99 inhabitants, 44 were children - a very high proportion, so the School Mistress would have had a large class!

Below is a table of the residents together with their Ages, Jobs, if any, and their Places of Birth. Surpisingly, the house had people who had been born miles away - Nottingham, Leicester, Ireland & even Holland. (Some of these might have been on the tramp). Note, too, the sad family groups & the number of farm hands or former farm workers - the latter indicating that ariculture was still the dominant employer in the town & that industry was not yet well developed. The information gathered in this section is based on work carried out by South African, Brian Edge, who is researching the local family names EDGE, ROLLETT & PATTISON (among others). Brian was originally from Bolsover (UK).

Banks, Joseph - 68, ex Blacksmith, Retford Bark, Anne - 3, Scholar, Anston Bark, Elizabeth - 12 months, Worksop Bark, Hannah - 25, House Servant, Clown Bark Thomas -5, Scholar, Anston Baslow, Eliza - 24, ex House Servant, Whitwell Baslow,William - 1 month, Worksop Beeston, Frederick - 34, Agr Labourer, Loveridge Bell, Hannah - 28, None, Oldcoates Bell, Jane - 32, None, Maltby Bell, Martha - 8, Scholar, Worksop Bell, William - 75, ex Agric Labourer, Worksop Bilhaw, Caroline - 32, None, Harthill Broadbent, Mary - 12, Scholar, Blyth Broadbent Walter - 13, Scholar, Blyth Carpenter, George - 67, ex Butcher, Derbyshire Chambers, John - 8, Scholar, Anston Colton, David - 57, Joiner, Worksop Cuff, Richard - 12, Scholar, Worksop Doncaster, Thomas - 10, Scholar, Worksop Downs, Sarah - 53, ex Servant, Thorpe Salvin Downs, William - 12, Scholar, Worksop Drury, John - 10, Scholar, - Edge, Mary - 49, Ex House Servant, Langwith Egley, James - 27, None, - Fields, Eliza - 3, Worksop Fields, George - 10, Scholar, Worksop Fields, Mary - 41, Ex House Servant, Ireland Fields, William - 8, Scholar, Worksop Fletcher, William - 79, ex Agri Lab, Torksey Flower, Mary - 23, ex House Servant, Whitwell Flower, William - 4, Scholar, Worksop Garston, Mary A - 14, Scholar, Worksop Gill, John - 70, Ex moulder, Eckington Gillott, Herbert - 7, Scholar, Anston Gillott, Maria - 11, Scholar, Anston Green, Samuel - 74, Chelsea Pensioner, Cresswell Hallam, Ann E - 5, Scholar, Worksop Hallam, Ellen - 32, Ex House Servant, Worksop Hallam, Emily - 9, Scholar, Worksop Hancock, Frank - 10, Scholar, Cuckney Hancock, George - 8, Scholar, Cuckney Hancock, Mary - 67, Woodman's Widow, Worksop Hedsaus(?), Samuel - 69, Tailor, Muston(?) Heindreich, Henry - 47, Agric Labourer, Holland Hides, Henry - 57, None, Carlton Hindle, John - 71, Ex Agri Lab, Harthill Humphrey, Mary - 46, None, Cuckney Hydes, Henry - 70, Joiner, Worksop Jennings, Elizabeth - 26, Ex Servant, Eckington

Jennings, Hannah - 3, Barlborough Jepson, Ann - 11, Scholar, Barlborough Jepson, Charles - 7, Scholar, Barlborough Keetley, Samuel - 69, ex Inland Rev, Worksop Lampson, Richard - 82, Ex Agric Lab, Carlton Leaisley(?), John - 75, Ex Agric Lab, Cresswell Lindley, Mary - 6 months, Nottingham Lindley, Mary - 25, Ex House Servant, Boston Lindley, William - 27, None, Blyth Mallinder, Harriet - 8, Scholar, Eckington Mallinder, Jane - 10, Scholar, Eckington Mallinder, Mary - 30, Labourer's wife, Eckington Mallinder, William - 5, Scholar, Eckington Mayfield, Charles - 14, Scholar, Leicester Mayfield, Charles - 57, Framework knitter, Leics Mayfield, Thomas - 13, Scholar, Leicester Medlins, Mary - 11, Scholar, Worksop Medlins, William - 69, Labourer, Harthill Mee, Hannah - 13, Scholar, Worksop Mee, Jane - 6, Scholar, Worksop Mee, John - 10, Scholar, Worksop Mee, Sarah - 3, Scholar, Worksop Mee, Thomas - 9, Scholar, Worksop Murphy, John - 73, Saddler, Waterford Paul, Emma - 30, ex House Servant, Worksop Quible, Sarah Jane - 7, Scholar, Worksop Regill, John - 78, Agric Labourer, Scarcliff Rowbottom, William - 50, Ex Agric Lab, Anston Royalls, Edward - 44, Labourer, Tickhill Sanderson, Ann - 72, Widow, Nottingham Sharp, Joseph - 63, Agric Labourer, Norton Simpson, John - 57, Sawyer, Worksop Sissons, Mary A - 53, Ex House Servant, Carlton Skilton, Elizabeth - 9, Scholar, Worksop Starkey, Elizabeth - 78, Widow, Whitwell Stevenson, Timothy - 73, Ex Agric Lab, Ollerton Stubbings, William - 78, Ex Tailor, Bolsover Tankersley, Mary - 76, Agric Labourer, Hull Taylor, Richard - 82, Ex Agric Lab, Letwell Thompson, John - 67, Agric Labourer, Blyth Tomlinson, Henry - 15, Scholar, Lincolnshire Tomlinson, William - 50, Barber, Worksop Webster, Andrew - 9, Scholar, Worksop Webster, Charles - 11, Scholar, Worksop Whitworth, Esther - 77, Widow, Beauchief Wood, Edward - 3, Barlborough Woodcock, William - 73, ex Wheelwright, Carlton Wright, John - 42, None, Carburton Wright, William - 68, Ex Agric Lab, Whitwell

The Workhouse in 1901

The following people were among those listed in the 1901 Census as living in the Eastgate Workhouse. The total number of inmates was 129 so this list is incomplete. In a small number of cases, age & occupation etc have been added. Full details for the other paupers are listed in the census. Note the second name is Spanish: Manuel Verdes Y Amigo. What was he doing in Worksop? Wonder what his story was?

From 1900, there were no children in the workhouse, as girls were moved to Abbeyhurst on Cheapside & boys to Yew Tree Villa, also on Cheapside. In the 1901 Census, there were 8 inmates in the boys' home & 13 in the girls' home including 3 young boys.

In 1926 during the coal dispute, the Board of Guardians reported that they were overdrawn by £70,000 - an immense sum!

In 1928 the workhouse wages for 2 weeks in February were £70, while outdoor relief cost £380 for Worksop District - again for 2 weeks. A curious entry in the accounts for 8th Feb 1928 shows £32 2s 5d (£32.12p) for "Lunatics' Expenses - Maintenance".

For Jan 1928, 4 deaths were recorded in a very matter of fact way:-

Arthur Wood, of Whitwell, aged 58
Jane Green, of Rhodesia, aged 54
Hannah Smith, of Woodend, aged 78
William Kitson Mozley, of Kiveton Park, aged 69.

Chairmen of the Board of Guardians

At the final meeting of the Board of Guardians in March 1930, the members congratulated themselves in paying off the 1926 debt & when they closed the workhouse down they still had a balance of £1,623. A farewell social was held at the Royal Hotel on 27th March 1930.

"WORKSOP RE-VISITED"

      Only 100 copies of this limited edition were available, each copy being individually numbered & signed by the author, Keith Morris.  This classic book quickly sold out & its unique nature soon made it a collector's item.

Two books on Worksop by Keith Morris were included in "WORKSOP RE-VISITED." 

Namely, "Wassop Worksop" and "I Were A Worksop Lad." Both were new editions containing updated information, more pictures & extra text. For instance, Jean Griffin (who lived on Queensway as a girl in the 1960s) added memories of Sir Edmund Hillary School & of the "Tech" on Blyth Rd. Jean also wrote about Worksop shops she knew when she was young.

"Wassop Worksop" was an unique book about Worksop. The book includes peoples' memories about growing up & living in Worksop. Contributions came from Jesse Bateman, Arthur Oxley, Tommy Blower, George & Catherine Wilde, Norman Blatherwick, Brenda Penney, Kenny Haynes etc, & some great poems came from Peter Brammer.  People you may know or people your relatives & friends may know, because - let's face it - almost everybody in Wassop knows everybody else!  

"I Were A Worksop Lad"contained pieces on Lincoln St School, Crown St School (Redlands), sledging, scrumping, carol singing etc, while many escapades from the 1960s & 1970s were gleefully described.