Shropshire Routes to Roots

5. Workhouse food

The story continues ...

The upkeep of workhouses required large amounts of supplies. Despite this, each person in the workhouse only got a limited ration of food.

This poster shows the large quantity of food required to a run a workhouse Larger image, in a new window [53kb] [Shropshire Archive reference: 1822/3]

People in workhouses in Shropshire were fed well in comparison with paupers elsewhere, even if the Atcham Union guardians felt that potatoes were too expensive in 1846. Why did potatoes become so expensive in 1846?

The Guardians of the Atcham Union decided that potatoes were too expensive to buy in 1846, so they decided to give their paupers beans and cabbage instead Transcript, opens in a new window [Shropshire Archive reference: PL1/2/2/3]

Special diets were provided for Christmas Day and days of Royal Celebration, such as the wedding of the Prince of Wales in 1863 [Shropshire Archive reference: PL1/2/2/5]

However, there was a different story in the Andover workhouse in Hampshire, southern England. The workhouse master left his paupers so hungry that they were forced to eat the marrow from the horse and dog bones they were grinding down as part of their hard labour whilst in the workhouse.

What do you imagine life was like for the children of the Davies family?
Do you think they liked the food they had to eat?
Did they have enough to eat?
Were they hungry?

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