Prior to the passing of the New Poor Law in 1836 each parish maintained
its own poor, a system which had been acted upon, we suppose, from the
time of Queen Elizabeth. But how the Madeley poor were housed or treated
prior to the erection of the Old “House of Industry,” or “Workhouse,”
which stood on the hill overlooking the valley of the Severn, now in
course of demolition and conversion into cottages, we are unable to say.
{242} In all probability out-door relief alone was administered. At all
times there have been kind and open hearted men of means who out of their
worldly store have taken care to make some provision for their less
fortunate brethren, either during their lifetime or by way of devise at
their death. In this way, as we have seen on page 217, there were two
principal charities, called the Brooke and Beddow charities which
amounted altogether to £100. At the latter end of the last century the
trustees appear to have invested this in the purchase of several small
leasehold cottages and lands, chiefly at Madeley Wood. When it was
resolved to build a house of industry in 1787 these properties were sold
by the trustees for that purpose. They consisted of two messuages and 15
perches of land situate at the Foxholes, which produced £45. One
messuage and garden containing 6¼ perches in the possession of Samuel
Hodghkiss, which produced £24. An old messuage and garden in Madeley
Wood containing 17 perches and a piece of garden ground containing 2½
perches, which produced £53 10s. A stable in Madeley Wood which produced
£10. And two messuages and gardens in Madeley Wood containing a quarter
of an acre, and a piece of garden ground containing five perches, which
produced £83; also another which fetched £23; making a total of £235 10s.
The investment itself seems to have been so far a good one; the value of
the property having increased, owing to the works springing up in the
neighbourhood; and it was resolved to raise a subscription in the parish
to be added to this £235. The further amount of £806 13s. 6d. was thus
raised, making altogether £1,042 3s. 6d., which sum was applied in the
erection on a part of the charity land of a house of industry, the cost
of which was £1,086 13s. 7¼d.; and a lease of that piece of land, with
the house so erected upon it, containing 3r. 12p. or thereabouts, was at
the 2nd of January, 1797, granted by the vicar and the major part of the
trustees to the then churchwardens and overseers for the use of the
parish for a term of 999 years, at the yearly rent of £18. The Charity
Commissioners say that the premises described in the leases do not appear
to tally exactly with the parcels contained in the two deeds of purchase;
and add:—
“Nor are we able to trace the variations of the property which have
taken place; as far as we can judge, however, nothing has been lost
to the charity. It appears indeed to us that in former times there
must have been considerable inattention in the trustees of the
affairs of the charity, for we find that previously to the leases
granted in 1797, the holders of the tenements claimed the property in
them on payment of the interest of the £100 which had been vested in
the purchase, and the trustees were obliged to establish their right
by an action of ejectment, a state of things which could scarcely
have taken place without much previous remissness on their part.
Whether the trustees were strictly justified in making the disposal
of the property which they did in 1797 may be questionable. In
effect they have sold original property of the charity, and have
purchased a rent-charge on the house of industry. Under the
circumstances of the case, however, it does not at present appear to
us that they could have made a more beneficial arrangement. The
income of these premises, amounting to £18 4s. 6½d., together with
5s. a year derived from another fund, has been for many years applied
in providing clothing for the poor. At Christmas 1818, tickets of
5s. value were distributed to 71 poor persons, which were received in
payment by the different tradesmen for such articles of clothing as
were wanted. In 1817 the distribution was wholly suspended, and in
the preceding year partially, in order to raise a fund for defraying
the expense of a new trust deed. This had occasioned a balance in
hand at the time of our inquiry of £23 15s. The deed was prepared
and paid for, and it was intended that the whole of the remaining
balance with the accruing rents should be given away at the ensuing
Christmas.”
For some years the proceeds of the charity were given away to the
poor—blankets were bought and distributed; but for over forty years,
prior to the last distribution in 1879, it had been accumulating,
excepting that on the first and second visitations of the cholera, it was
made use of for the purpose of alleviating the distress then existing;
and it had been thought advisable to permit its accumulation for the
purpose of forming a reserve fund on which to fall back in times of
urgent distress, whether arising from contagious disease or depression of
trade.
The charge of £18 per annum upon the old poor-house was transferred to
the new, and is still paid to the trustees; and to the sum accumulated
has been added the £750 which the old workhouse sold for, and it was out
of the interest of the whole that the last distribution of the funds of
the charity took place in 1879, when blankets to the value of £70 or
thereabouts were given away.
The union of parishes was formed in 1836, and Wm. Anstice, Esq. was
chosen chairman. He held office for fifteen years, and was succeeded by
G. Pritchard, Esq. who held it for eleven years. At his death W. Layton
Lowndes, Esq. was elected, and held the office for seventeen years. John
Arthur Anstice, Esq., who succeeded Mr. Lowndes on his retirement in
April 25th, 1879, now discharges the duties of the office.
A building erected and designed for the poor of one parish was scarcely
likely to be suited to the wants of a number of parishes, like Barrow,
Benthall, Broseley, Buildwas, Dawley, Linley, Little Wenlock, Madeley,
Posenhall, Stirchley, and Willey, which formed the new Union; and
although additions were made from time to time the building was evidently
inadequate for the accommodation of the number of paupers, tramps, &c.,
who sought aid or refuge within its walls. It was some time however
after the subject was broached before anything was decided. Some
Guardians advocated the further enlargement of the old building, whilst
others were for a new one entirely; but these even differed among
themselves, some being in favour of a new building on the old site,
whilst others advocated another site and a new plan altogether. The Poor
Law Commissioners at Somerset House accelerated the issue by threatening
to close the old building, as unfit for the uses to which it was put; the
result being that a site was purchased and the present extensive and well
arranged suite of rooms, wards, &c., with their various conveniences,
were erected. The original loan of £6,000 obtained in 1870 towards the
purchase of the site and the erection of the building was to be paid back
by instalments out of the rates levied in the several parishes of the
Union, according to the proportions of the rating. The loan altogether
has been £10,000, and, with interest, the cost of the erection may be
said to have been £13,800; but a further sum of £600 is required for the
erection of tramp wards. The building stands upon 7¾ acres, which was
purchased at a cost of £1,700; and six acres, previously very rough
ground, is under cultivation, and made productive, and in part highly
ornamental, by the judicious labour of the inmates of the house.
Altogether the grounds and building have a pleasing rather than that
forbidding appearance such institutions sometimes have. The building
consists of a front range, with central entrance, with master’s sitting
room, board room, and clerk’s offices, on the right; whilst on the left
are the visitor’s rooms, and one for the porter, with male and female
receiving wards, bath room &c.
Inside the quadrangle we get central offices of various kinds, cooking
and dining rooms, pantry, clothing room, master and matron’s offices. On
the right are the laundry, the washhouse, work rooms, able bodied women’s
rooms, children’s room, old infirm women’s room, and three small
apartments for married couples. There is also a dormitory on the ground
floor for old and infirm women; and over the whole of the offices and
rooms mentioned are bedrooms. On the left are similar arrangements to
those we have mentioned for the men, but with workshops for carpenters
and tailors. On the east is the infirmary, a detached building, with
male and female apartments, nurses, &c.; and below this a fever hospital.
The whole building is capable of giving accommodation to 225 inmates; but
at the time we write 88 are the total number, notwithstanding the very
depressed state of trade; and 90, we learn, is about the average.
We visited many of the rooms, that in describing the building we may be
able to give our own impressions of the appearance of the inmates. The
bedrooms were tenantless, but clean, well lighted and airy; we could not
say however what they would be from the breath of so many sleeping in
them at night time. Many of the old people we saw in the day rooms were
very old, and a large number imbecile, several having been recently
brought here from Bicton Heath Asylum. And although this was the case
with the women there seemed something about the internal domestic
arrangements, which, in giving them employment, seemed to create
interest. There was a cheerful alacrity among the female workers, in
washing, ironing, mending, making, and scrubbing, and a readiness in
replying to questions put by the matron which seemed to speak favourably
of the way in which she discharges her duties amongst them. In the
“day-rooms” of the men too, although we saw feebleness and age, we saw
little of that torpid inanimateness, helplessness, and hopeless looking
withered faces one is apt to look for in workhouses. Some were dim-eyed
with age, but others were reading books, and more would read no doubt if
they had something to read which was interesting. And why should they
not have? Here were old men 75, 80, and “going of 85,” sitting round a
good cheerful fire in a snug room to whom a few illustrated books or
newspapers, which everybody could spare, would be a godsend. If all
cannot read some can, and they would be pleased to amuse or interest
their fellows. We suggested as much to Mrs. Hayes, the matron, who
approved of the suggestion of these and of a few prints hung up in the
bedrooms, as well as the day and school rooms; as also did the Rev. H.
Wayne, one of the Guardians, who wished we had been in time to make the
suggestion to the board. We mention it here that it may be acted upon by
others, if the board, or to the master, to whom all such books, prints,
or papers should be submitted, approve. Age and infirmity require as
much commiseration as childhood, and in very many respects the same means
will comfort and solace the aged and impotent as the young child. We
ought at any rate to try to make old age endurable. If we do not do this
we but add to the weight of old age already bent down with infirmities,
and—
‘We furnish feathers for the wing of death.’
One thoughtful lady had, we found, kindly furnished the school-room with
some really good prints and drawings. On sunny and suitable days Mr.
Hayes employs the men in the grounds, and by the growth of vegetables
contributes to the maintenance of the establishment, of which we might
say much more if space permitted.
The amount administered in out-door relief at present is a little over
that of in-door maintenance, which for the half year ending Michaelmas,
1878, was £544 11s. 2¼d
We have already mentioned Master and Matron: Clerk to the Board Mr. H.
Boycott; Chaplain Rev. G. Wintour. Relieving officers Mr. W. Morris and
Mr. W. T. Jones.