💀Workhouses were built as a deterrent for claiming poor relief, with harsh conditions and tyrannical regimes.
🔒Inmates were segregated based on categories, with men and women doing different types of work.
👨👩👧👦Families were separated, causing heartbreak for parents and children.
🧒Children in workhouses learned to read and write, but at the cost of losing their connection to their families.
📜The powerful master and matron enforced strict rules, punishments, and surveillance on the inmates.
What was the purpose of workhouses?
—Workhouses were built as a deterrent to those claiming poor relief and were places of punishment for the poor.
How were families treated in workhouses?
—Families were separated, with children being taken away from their parents, causing heartbreak and loss of connection.
Did children receive any education in workhouses?
—Yes, children in workhouses learned to read and write, but the education came at the cost of losing their connection to their families.
Who had the power in workhouses?
—The master and matron of the workhouses had absolute power and enforced strict rules, punishments, and surveillance on the inmates.
What were the conditions like in workhouses?
—The conditions in workhouses were harsh and monotonous, with backbreaking work, segregation, and punishments for any wrongdoing.
01:29The Secrets of the National Trust: Discovering Dark Places in Social History.
03:26Suthell Workhouse in Nottinghamshire is a dark and imposing building that housed the destitute.
06:24The workhouse segregated families, separating children from their parents.
10:48Inmates were subjected to harsh punishment and tedious work, such as picking oakum and breaking rocks.
13:20Lebanon reveals the story of a workhouse runaway and the stigma associated with being poor.
