Inmates

When a man entered the workhouse, his family entered with him – they could no longer ask the parish for handouts to help with food, fuel or rent. They were separated; they all had to wear workhouse clothing; their days were regimented by the workhouse timetable; and they had to do whatever work was provided for them.

However, they had regular meals provided, a roof over their heads and decent clothing. In spite of the ‘deterrent’ aim of the system, they were better off than the poor outside the workhouse who might be starving, dressed in rags or freezing.

By the 1850s most of the inmates in the workhouse were not the able-bodied unemployed, but elderly people who had become too frail to earn a living, unmarried mothers, orphaned children, and people who were sick, disabled or mentally ill. (After their closure, many of the workhouses were converted to hospitals.)

There were also some people who entered the workhouse periodically, when labouring jobs dried up, and left when work became available. This happened in some areas where seasonal work like harvesting fruit, etc. was only possible at certain times of year.

Vagrants

Although the 1834 Poor law did not mention vagrants, workhouses also housed the traditional 'Travelling Men' or tramps, who moved around constantly. They could enter for a single night, and were not allowed to return within a month or two. This wasn't a problem, because the regular tramps worked a circuit, from Woodstock to Oxford and Abingdon, then Wantage,r Newbury and Wallingford, so it was a while before they made their way back. Abingdon could house about 7 or 8 tramps in the 'casual ward'. They had to collect a chitty from the police station to authorise their entry.

Laurie Liddiard in his recorded memories recalls the tramps waiting outside until 5pm when they were allowed in. They sat on the bank by the service road leading to the front entrance, and would bury any money or valuables they had with them, to be retrieved later, when they moved on. This was because they were made to empty their pockets, and anything over a certain amount would be taken as payment for their lodging.

Then they would be sent to have a bath, and given a hammock and some blankets for the night.

(Laurie Liddiard's recordings may be heard on www.workhouses.org.)

Abingdon inmates

More detailed information about the actual inmates can be found by scrutinising the census returns:

Changes over time