Work and the Workhouse

It was a fact of life, and still is to a large degree, that survival depended upon work. Conditions throughout the 18th and 19th centuries were harsh although the Industrial Revolution brought opportunities for those who could adapt. For those who could not, income dropped and feeding the numerous mouths per family became even harder.

At the worst, the parish was forced to pick up the tab, either by issuing weekly payments or, more often by taking people into the Workhouse to survie in harsh conditions, deliberately made so to discourage people from entering.

The following items relate to work, working conditions and the worst case scenario of applying to the Workhouse.