Housing Collection (#36)

Manchester Union Casual Wards, Manchester
Casual wards for tramps and vagrants at Tame Street, Ancoates, Manchester. The original premises were set up in a former cotton mill in 1897 but were rebuilt in around 1900 after being burnt down

Billy Blue, Holsworthy Union Workhouse, Devon
Billy Blue, an inmate of the Holsworthy Union workhouse, Devon, pulling a handcart on which is a large chest bearing the workhouses name

Cockermouth Union schools, Flimby, Cumberland
The Cockermouth Union workhouse schools at Flimby, Cumberland. Flimby Lodge was purchased by the Union in 1886 for conversion to a school and vagrant wards

Training Ship Exmouth, flag signalling drill
Uniformed boys on the deck of the Training Ship Exmouth learning flag signalling. The Exmouth, moored off Grays in Essex, was used by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a naval training establishment

Exeter Union Workhouse childrens home
The childrens home attached to the Union workhouse, Gladstone Road, Exeter. The building was erected in 1913-14 and immediately pressed into use as a First World War military hospital

Wandsworth Union Infirmary, St Johns Hill, London
Entrance to Wandsworth Union workhouse infirmary, St Johns Hill, south west London. Originally opened in 1840 as the Wandsworth workhouse, it was designed by George Ledwell Taylor

Parish Workhouse, Hawkhurst, Kent
A timber framed building on the Moor in Hawkhurst, Kent, that once served as the parish workhouse. Children play nearby and an older boy carries a gardening fork and other tools

Woolwich Union Golden Leigh Homes, Plumstead
The Woolwich Unions " Golden Leigh" cottage homes at Bostall Heath, Plumstead, south east London, erected in 1899 to house pauper children away from the workhouse

Training Ship Exmouth, gun crew
Uniformed boys on the deck of the Training Ship Exmouth in formation as a gun crew, pulling a gun carriage. The Exmouth, moored off Grays in Essex

Menu from Halifax Union Board of Guardians dinner
The cover of the commemorative menu at the Halifax Union Board of Guardians final dinner. The abolition of all the countrys Boards of Guardians after April 1930 marked the end of the workhouse system

Parish Workhouse, Frittenden, Kent
A large timber framed building that once served as the Frittenden parish workhouse, Kent. An oast house stands at the left

Camberwell Workhouse inmates at Bognor Regis
A large party of inmates from the Camberwell workhouse in south east London eating their dinner during their annual outing to Bognor Regis, West Sussex

Parish Workhouse, Brenchley, Kent
A large timber framed building that once served as the Brenchley parish workhouse. It is believed to have opened in 1732

Whitby Parish poor relief voucher for coal
A voucher for a shilling bag of coal, issued as poor relief by the Churchwarden at Whitby, North Yorkshire

Notice of Death from Union Workhouse, Maldon, Essex
A Notice of Death sent from the Maldon Union workhouse to the next of kin of William John Rush. If relatives or friends did not undertake the funeral arrangements

Boy Scout Troop from Christchurch Cottage Homes
A troop of boy scouts from the Christchurch Union cottage homes for pauper children. The boys, in scout uniform, sit at their camp site

Youth Hostel, Cerne Abbas, Dorset
Youth hostel on Sherborne Road, Cerne Abbas, Dorset. A girl in the hostel grounds talks over the wall to a boy outside. The hostel was originally built in in 1836-7 as the Cerne Union workhouse

Manual of Workhouse Cookery, cover
The cover of a well used copy of the Manual of Workhouse Cookery, marked Matrons Use in the top left corner. The book was published in 1901 alongside a major revision of workhouse diets

Babington House Hospital, Belper, Derbyshire
Aerial view of Babington House Hospital, Belper, Derbyshire. The building, designed as a workhouse by George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt, was erected in 1839-40

Rowton House, Whitechapel, East London
The Rowton House (named Tower House, built in 1902) on Fielding Street, Whitechapel, East London. Rowton Houses, of which six were erected around London, were large, purpose built

Hexagonal workhouse, second floor plan
The second floor layout of the model hexagon (or Y-plan) workhouse design by Sampson Kempthorne, issued by the Poor Law Commissioners

Whitechapel Workhouse Casual Ward, East London
A line of men gathers near the Whitechapel Workhouse casual ward (vagrants ward) on Thomas Street, East London, waiting for its opening time

Whitechapel Workhouse, Casual Ward Dormitory
A dormitory of the Whitechapel Workhouse Casual Ward on Thomas Street, East London. There are rolled up hammocks attached along each wall. The floor is bare boards

The Unemployed and the Workhouse, satirical postcard
Two workmen are digging a hole outside a workhouse. A dishevelled tramp figure asks them why they are working when the workhouse would give them a home for free

The Warriors Return, satirical postcard
A wounded soldier, drawn as a wooden puppet and carrying his own broken-off leg, looks at a WD (War Department) signpost pointing to the workhouse

Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent, Womens Ward
Interior of a womens ward in the Tonbridge Union workhouse, Kent. The three inmates are wearing the typical uniform of long skirt, blouse, shawl, and bonnet

Vagrant and policeman outside Truth Offices
A policeman shines his torch down on a vagrant asleep on the pavement outside the offices of the Truth weekly newspaper

Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent, Boys Drill
A line of boys at Tonbridge Union workhouse in Kent, probably in band uniforms, hold their rifles in military drill style. A man at the left of the line (their bandmaster?) looks

Union Workhouse, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The Tetbury Union workhouse, Gloucestershire. Loitering outside are a number of people - some small children, several labourers, and an older man with a stick

Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent - Billy Brown
Two inmates of the Tonbridge Union workhouse with a handcart. The men are in the standard workhouse uniform of jacket, trousers, waistcoat, and billycock hat

Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent, Female Inmates
A row of female inmates seated by a window inside the Tonbridge Union workhouse. A uniform of long skirt, blouse, shawl and bonnet was the normal attire for elderly women in the workhouse

Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent, Jubilee Celebrations
The Tonbridge Union workhouse bedecked with flags, its lawns covered with chairs, and inmates sprawled on the grass. Thought to be the occasion of Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee in 1897

Square workhouse, second floor plan
The second floor layout of the model square workhouse for 300 inmates, design by Sampson Kempthorne, issued by the Poor Law Commissioners

Strand Union Boys Band
A group picture of the Strand Union Boys Band on 12 July 1905, at the Childrens Fete held at the Vicarage, Tottenham, North London

Square workhouse, first floor plan
The first floor layout of the model square workhouse for 300 inmates, design by Sampson Kempthorne, issued by the Poor Law Commissioners

Workhouse Sports Day, Sheffield, Yorkshire
Inmates of the Sheffield Union workhouse at Fir Vale watch as male competitors take part in an obstacle course during a sports day

St Marylebone Poor Law Schools, Southall
The St Marylebone Schools on South Road, Southall, Middlesex. An inscription below the pediment gives its date of construction as 1858

Square workhouse, perspective view
Perspective view of the model square workhouse for 300 inmates, design by Sampson Kempthorne, issued by the Poor Law Commissioners

Oracle Workhouse, Reading, Berkshire
The ornate entrance and gates of Readings Oracle workhouse, established in 1628. A shopping centre of the same name now stands on the site

Union Workhouse, Reading, Berkshire
Reading Union workhouse was opened in 1867 at a site on Oxford Road in Reading, Berkshire. This view of the entrance dates from the First World War when the site was taken over for use as a military

Open air church service at a workhouse
An open air church service for workhouse inmates, location unknown. Male and female inmates in workhouse uniform sit on chairs while a service is conducted by two men

Kensington & Chelsea District School, infirmary
In 1876, the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea established a District School for pauper children at Banstead, Surrey (later known as Beechholme)

Kensington & Chelsea District School, gymnasium
In 1876, the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea established a District School for pauper children at Banstead, Surrey (later known as Beechholme)

Union Workhouse, Limerick, Ireland, perspective view
The Union workhouse at Limerick, Ireland, was designed by George Wilkinson and opened in 1841. This 1847 view shows the workhouse after proposed enlargements

Old women picking oakum in a Casual Ward
The womens casual ward (vagrants ward) of a workhouse, thought to be at Lambeth, south London. Three women in workhouse uniform sit on benches

Kensington & Chelsea District School, gym team
In 1876, the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea established a District School for pauper children at Banstead, Surrey (later known as Beechholme)

Kensington & Chelsea District School, boys group photo
In 1876, the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea established a District School for pauper children at Banstead, Surrey (later known as Beechholme)

Irish 800-pauper workhouse, ground plan
Ground plan of the model plan for Irish union workhouses housing up to 800 inmates. The plan was devised by George Wilkinson, the Poor Law Commissioners architect in Ireland

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