The Workhouse

by Norman Longmate

The British workhouse is the stuff of literature and legend. But what exactly was it? Surprisingly, no full-scale history of the workhouse has ever been written. Here, historian Norman Longmate tells the full story, from its beginnings in Elizabethan times until its demise in the 1940s, though mainly concentrating on the Victorian workhouse in the years of its tarnished glory. He describes the circumstances in the 1830s that led to the opening of 600 new workhouses—an event that met with astonishingly little opposition among reformers. He also records the riots, the protests, and the pleadings with which the poor challenged their virtual enslavement, and the misery of their daily lives when they were finally incarcerated within the workhouse walls.

Genres: History

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 29, 2003

Reviews

[Julie]

A harrowing but fascinating read.

Macabre and much better than any horror novel as this actually happened

[Mary-Catherine Oxford]

This book was incredibly interesting and I learned everything I wanted to know about British Workhouses. It is very information heavy and written for people who are already very interested in the subject matter.

[Melanie Harvey]

Fascinating insight into the workhouse system; both factual and anecdotal.

[Scott]

A classic read on the English workhouses and the new poor law. Speaks to the abuses of the system as well as the goals of the system .

Very timely read on what happened in the workhouse system and the attitudes that brought the workhouses into being and how they mirror American society today.

[Alicia]

Fascinating history but very dryly written.

[Johanne]

Interestin and comprehensive but weird rather useless referencing so not very helpful for accuracy checking or if you have an academic interest in the subject