The Gressenhall workhouse was severely affected by the 1834 poor law as before this the workhouse was relatively relaxed but then it had to adapt to the new government requirements saying that the work houses were to be as grim as possible. So in order to do this new changes had to occur. The workhouse had to be expanded to cater for the large amount of people because with no outdoor relief and no jobs available the poor had no choice but to go to a workhouse. The Gressenhall workhouse had nice surroundings, it even had an arcade and a wind mill, but the windmill was removed and sold in 1837 just three years after the act was passed. £4,800 was borrowed to pay for the enlargement of the workhouse done in1835-36. There were also generally well proportioned windows at the original workhouse but after 1834 some were bricked up
Before 1834 the diet was all right in the workhouse. As there was some variation in the diet and people had a choice. In 1797 the paupers breakfast and supper were different but in 1834 they were the same every day. Before 1834 there was lots more fruit and vegetables, after 1834 there was set amounts for men and women. Men received bigger portions as they supposedly did a lot harder work. In 1797 there was meat but after 1834 there was little meat as poor people outside the workhouse would have little meat and they wanted to deter the poor. Food was also used as a punishment; you could be given bread and water for a week. The inmates diet after 1834 was meagre and monotonous this made life boring and unexciting.
Paupers were made to work for 6 hours a day, 3 hrs between breakfast and dinner and 3hrs between dinner and supper. They were made to work to keep them occupied and to pay for food & lodgings. "In return for food and lodgings." This deterred the poor, as they had to work hard. The middle class attitude was that the poor were undeserving and lazy and should be set to work. They did many unpleasant hard labour jobs such as picking and packing Oakum. This was a terrible unpleasant job. Paupers had to untangle old ropes to get the fabric from them. Other jobs included pumping water, carting manure or gravel and breaking up stones. In 1837 the windmill was removed so paupers had to do more hard labour jobs. In 1775 adult inmates were given a little pay for their work. But after1834 no one got paid unless they taught a specialist skill. In 1854 a paupers was paid 7s 6d for teaching others how to pick and pack Oakum.
The children in the workhouse received some education, as there was a schoolmaster and schoolmistress. At school they learnt religion, industrious training, arithmetic, geography, shoe making, tailoring, agricultural training, reading and writing. The purpose of teaching the children was so that when they grew up they could get a job and get out of the workhouse. "The girls might also be instructed in the business of the dairy which would greatly increase their chances of finding employment." They were taught religion so they could grow up and become good considerate people with good morals. The Board of Guardians was more sympathetic to the children as it was not their fault that they were poor. It was hard for the children being without their parents so they were allowed a small amount of fun. They had to go outside at least three times a day. The Guardians allowed the boys to go out more and gave them more training as they thought boys were more important. The children were looked after we know this as they were "attended to by the matron."
After 1834 discipline was stricter to make the poor less eligible. The types of behaviour that received punishment were absconding (running away)+ you stole the workhouses uniform, misconduct & misbehaving, swearing / insulting people, stealing, damaging workhouse property, whistling and talking (at meal times, at church, to family and in corridors). After 1834 a refractory cell was built to punish paupers. The types of punishments given were; put in solitary confinement for 6-24 hours and paupers had their diet changed to just bread and water.
The aim of the 1834 New Poor Law was to cut the costs of the poor rate and deter the poor from the workhouse. "The workhouse with room for 560 was often less than half full." The people in the workhouse when there was low unemployment were mostly old, sick, illegitimate or orphaned children and the disabled / retarded. Altogether life in the workhouse was hard and monotonous.
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