Notes on Workhouse Jobs in Victorian England

Introduction

• Discussion of the harsh conditions and jobs in Victorian workhouses.
• Comparison of scavenging jobs to the more severe conditions in workhouses.

Workhouses Overview

• Existed before the Victorian era but were made worse by the new Poor Laws of 1834.
• Purpose: Jobs in workhouses worse than those available outside.
• By the 1850s, there were approximately 200,000 individuals in workhouses.
• Once admitted, it was challenging to leave.
• Structure: Men and women were separated; able-bodied individuals were separated from the less fit.
• Jobs intended as punishment for poverty.

Key Jobs in Workhouses

Stone Breaking

• Considered a punishment job.
• Involved breaking stones into small pieces for road repairs.
• Only casuals and tramps were typically assigned this job.
  • Duration: Usually done for just one day.
  • Compensation: Inmates received a bed for the night and a meal.
• Requirement: Stones had to be small enough to pass through a metal mesh for road building.

Oakum Picking

• Involved breaking down old rope into its components.
• Process:
  • Breaking rope down to strands, then to yarn, and finally into raw fiber (oakum).
  • Oakum was used to seal joints in planking on ships.
• Inmates frequently experienced bleeding fingers due to the strenuous nature of the task.
• Initially seems simple, but quickly becomes difficult and time-consuming.
• Requirement: Inmates had no choice but to perform assigned jobs, stripping away their dignity.
• Comparison: Some jobs outside the workhouse, although unpleasant, offered a choice.

Conclusion

• Workhouse jobs exemplified the degradation of dignity faced by the poor.
• Heavy emphasis on labor with no room for personal reflection or choice.