2. Into the workhouse
What happened to the Davies family when they went to the workhouse?
The story continues ...
 The following pieces of information all relate to real things that happened at Cross Houses workhouse near Shrewsbury. Use them to give yourself ideas for your story.
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The Guardians of the Atcham Union were becoming concerned about the people who were going into the workhouse, as they thought they were "... idle and disorderly persons ..." (Shropshire Archive reference: PL1/2/2/34). As a result they turned away some people who wanted to come into the workhouse and made them undertake hard labour instead.
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![Section of Atcham Poor Law Union Minute book, from 1845 [Transcript opens in new window]](../../images/cri_h02b.jpg)
In January 1845, the Guardians ordered that if John France applied for entrance to the workhouse he should be put to work breaking stones for the road instead.
Transcript; opens in a new window
[Shropshire Archive reference: PL1/2/2/2]
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Whenever possible the Guardians of the Poor Law Unions tried to get people out of the workhouse and into employment, as this case of Sarah Oliver shows. There are many other examples in the Poor Law records of other workhouse inhabitants being found work, so that they could leave the workhouse.
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![Section of the Atcham Poor Law Union Minute book, from 1851 [Transcript opens in new window]](../../images/cri_h03b.jpg)
In January 1851 the clerk to the Atcham Union reported to the Guardians that he knew of a 'situation' in which Sarah Oliver would probably be engaged if she applied for a place.
Transcript opens in a new window [15kb]
[Shropshire Archive reference: PL1/2/2/3]
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Did any of the Davies children manage to get out of the workhouse?
If so, what did they do and where did they go?
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Find out more about the Davies family in the workhouse: Next
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