What do you think?
Rate this book
The Workhouse: The People, The Places, The Life Behind Doors
'The stories of those who lived in the shadow of the workhouse'During the nineteenth century the workhouse cast a shadow over the lives of the poor. The destitute and the desperate sought refuge within its forbidding walls. And it was an ever-present threat if poor families failed to look after themselves properly. As a result a grim mythology has grown up about the horrors of the house and the mistreatment meted out to the innocent pauper. In this fully updated and revised edition of his best-selling book, Simon Fowler takes a fresh look at the workhouse and the people who sought help from it. He looks at how the system of the Poor Law of which the workhouse was a key part was organized and the men and women who ran the workhouses or were employed to care for the inmates.But above all this is the moving story of the tens of thousands of children, men, women and the elderly who were forced to endure grim conditions to survive in an unfeeling world.'A poignant account ... draws powerfully on letters from The National Archives ... [Simon Fowler] brings out the horror, but it is fair-minded to those struggling to be humane within an inhumane system, ' The Independent'A good introduction, ' The Guardian.The history of workhouses and poverty ('misery history') has recently been prominently covered on TV shows like WDYTYA? and ITV's Secrets from the Workhouse, and referenced in historical dramas like The Village and Ripper Street."
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2007
77 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 25, 2014
The Workhouse – A trip into the harshness of Victorian England.
The Workhouse by Simon Fowler is one of the best and well researched books on The Workhouse something that hung over the poor like Damacles Sword and sent fear through the massed ranks of the poor. The publication of this book is well timed especially when people are researching their family tree’s and find that ancestors were sent to the workhouse, many want to know what the workhouse was. If one was to look at the former workhouse in Hampstead Workhouse now you would never understand what passed as life there looking at the expensive apartments that have been converted from the building.
Today as we look back at what the Workhouse was we can think of Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist or the stories of the past of a harsh and unforgiving place. Whether we can ever understand how the workhouse was able to strike fear in to the poor and poverty striken this book goes someway to break down those barriers to our understanding.
The chapters are broken down in to easy to use, easy to understand the workings of the workhouse and where possible evidence is given to back up the statement on life or the lives of the inmates. One of the first things that Fowler does is explain how Britain and especially Victorian Britain ends up with the workhouse system under the Poor Laws of the 19th Century when there were Poor Law Guardians appointed to protect the Parishes with the poor and poverty stricken. It must be remember that at the time Britain was going through acute change from Industrial and agraian revolutions which meant there were more people than the work that was available.
It was also clear of the thinking of the Christians of the time when there was no welfare state, the rich expected the poor to stand on their own two feet and that they were responsible for being poor and could work their way out of their situation. Fowler again uses the evidence of the Poor Law Guardians of their thoughts on the poor and that relief was corrupting the independant nature of the poor.
Fowler provides examples of what life was like behind the doors of the workhouse and he does not pull any punches and gives examples of the various workhouses that covered the country. He explains the hierarchy of the workhouses with the masters and matrons and how they dealt with the people in their care. Fowler also explains how the inmates were treated within the walls and that entering the workhouse was meant to be humiliating and that they would be accepting humiliation on them by the authorities.
In two chapters explains the attitudes to children and those sick and elderly. What must be remember that children made up one third of the workhouse population. They were also the only set of workhouse inmates that the Victorians had any sympathy with. By the end of the ninteenth century the workhouse population comprised the sick and the elderly and their care was very insitutionalised even though harsh had quite a success rate in their treatment, which is often forgotten again something that Fowler highlights.
Simon Fowler has written an excellent account of life in the workhouse and he does not hold back any punches, he shows both the good and the bad so we get a fair account of the Workhouse. I know from this account I would not like to go back to that provision and its harshness which comes across at best as unChristian response by Christians to caring for the poor. I am sure the Bible says something about the poor, the rich and heaven as well as taking care of neighbours. An excellent book well worth reading if you require understanding of being poor and in the poorhouse.
The Workhouse by Simon Fowler is one of the best and well researched books on The Workhouse something that hung over the poor like Damacles Sword and sent fear through the massed ranks of the poor. The publication of this book is well timed especially when people are researching their family tree’s and find that ancestors were sent to the workhouse, many want to know what the workhouse was. If one was to look at the former workhouse in Hampstead Workhouse now you would never understand what passed as life there looking at the expensive apartments that have been converted from the building.
Today as we look back at what the Workhouse was we can think of Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist or the stories of the past of a harsh and unforgiving place. Whether we can ever understand how the workhouse was able to strike fear in to the poor and poverty striken this book goes someway to break down those barriers to our understanding.
The chapters are broken down in to easy to use, easy to understand the workings of the workhouse and where possible evidence is given to back up the statement on life or the lives of the inmates. One of the first things that Fowler does is explain how Britain and especially Victorian Britain ends up with the workhouse system under the Poor Laws of the 19th Century when there were Poor Law Guardians appointed to protect the Parishes with the poor and poverty stricken. It must be remember that at the time Britain was going through acute change from Industrial and agraian revolutions which meant there were more people than the work that was available.
It was also clear of the thinking of the Christians of the time when there was no welfare state, the rich expected the poor to stand on their own two feet and that they were responsible for being poor and could work their way out of their situation. Fowler again uses the evidence of the Poor Law Guardians of their thoughts on the poor and that relief was corrupting the independant nature of the poor.
Fowler provides examples of what life was like behind the doors of the workhouse and he does not pull any punches and gives examples of the various workhouses that covered the country. He explains the hierarchy of the workhouses with the masters and matrons and how they dealt with the people in their care. Fowler also explains how the inmates were treated within the walls and that entering the workhouse was meant to be humiliating and that they would be accepting humiliation on them by the authorities.
In two chapters explains the attitudes to children and those sick and elderly. What must be remember that children made up one third of the workhouse population. They were also the only set of workhouse inmates that the Victorians had any sympathy with. By the end of the ninteenth century the workhouse population comprised the sick and the elderly and their care was very insitutionalised even though harsh had quite a success rate in their treatment, which is often forgotten again something that Fowler highlights.
Simon Fowler has written an excellent account of life in the workhouse and he does not hold back any punches, he shows both the good and the bad so we get a fair account of the Workhouse. I know from this account I would not like to go back to that provision and its harshness which comes across at best as unChristian response by Christians to caring for the poor. I am sure the Bible says something about the poor, the rich and heaven as well as taking care of neighbours. An excellent book well worth reading if you require understanding of being poor and in the poorhouse.
June 5, 2021
Doing my family tree I've found a few ancestors who spent time in the workhouse and it makes for grim reading. The book attempts to break down some of the why's as to how someone ended up in the workhouse; how it was often the lesser of two evils. It's an interesting book and full of statistics and information but for me a little dry. You can tell though that a lot of research has gone into the topic. I liked it and got a lot from it but maybe would've loved it with a different style.
February 21, 2021
The sound of this book was good: a fascinating view into the horrible world of the victorian workhouse. Which turns out not to be so horrible at all, at least not completely. A sort of vision of the welfare state to come.
It probably is such a book, or it could have been. It's unfortunately written in the driest summing up of lists sort of style, and doesn't invite reading the whole book. I suppose a good book for a professional historian with more patience than I had.
Sorry, because I truly would have liked to read a history of the workhouse: the taste of that as this book gave me was sufficient to keep my curiosity going. Just not with this book...
It probably is such a book, or it could have been. It's unfortunately written in the driest summing up of lists sort of style, and doesn't invite reading the whole book. I suppose a good book for a professional historian with more patience than I had.
Sorry, because I truly would have liked to read a history of the workhouse: the taste of that as this book gave me was sufficient to keep my curiosity going. Just not with this book...
March 14, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Workhouse is a well researched and annotated retrospective look at the history and background of workhouses and the harsh realities faced by poor people before the more progressive ideas of a social safety net with benefits was a reality. Originally published in Great Britain in 2007, this reformat and re-release out 31st March 2021 from Pen & Sword is 224 pages and will be available in paperback format (other editions available in other formats).
I love the Victorian era in theory . I love the literature, the music, the dress, the civilized aspects. In short, I love the curated sanitised version provided in the modern BBC costume dramas and would have in actual fact decried the squalid and desperately short lives of the actual reality of the time (and probably been locked up and/or beaten to death for my troubles). This interesting and fairly comprehensive guide gives a glimpse into the grim realities of the day-to-day lives of people who lived then, from the historical recollections and contemporaneous period writings.
Written by Dr. Simon Fowler, it's a meticulously researched, layman accessible academic treatise on the realities surrounding the establishment and administration of poor/work houses as one practical arm of the Poor Law. The book is laid out in a logical manner, with historical realities and day-to-day life of the inhabitants of workhouses followed by individual topic chapters including the working poor, different class divisions of the poor, destitute children, the sick and infirm, and modern workhouse museums and exhibitions. A cross-referenced index makes specific information easy to find quickly. The appendices are packed with good information on how to winnow information from historical sources for family genealogy research, as well as modern day workhouse museums/exhibits to visit. The bibliography is substantial and will provide many hours of further reading.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Workhouse is a well researched and annotated retrospective look at the history and background of workhouses and the harsh realities faced by poor people before the more progressive ideas of a social safety net with benefits was a reality. Originally published in Great Britain in 2007, this reformat and re-release out 31st March 2021 from Pen & Sword is 224 pages and will be available in paperback format (other editions available in other formats).
I love the Victorian era in theory . I love the literature, the music, the dress, the civilized aspects. In short, I love the curated sanitised version provided in the modern BBC costume dramas and would have in actual fact decried the squalid and desperately short lives of the actual reality of the time (and probably been locked up and/or beaten to death for my troubles). This interesting and fairly comprehensive guide gives a glimpse into the grim realities of the day-to-day lives of people who lived then, from the historical recollections and contemporaneous period writings.
Written by Dr. Simon Fowler, it's a meticulously researched, layman accessible academic treatise on the realities surrounding the establishment and administration of poor/work houses as one practical arm of the Poor Law. The book is laid out in a logical manner, with historical realities and day-to-day life of the inhabitants of workhouses followed by individual topic chapters including the working poor, different class divisions of the poor, destitute children, the sick and infirm, and modern workhouse museums and exhibitions. A cross-referenced index makes specific information easy to find quickly. The appendices are packed with good information on how to winnow information from historical sources for family genealogy research, as well as modern day workhouse museums/exhibits to visit. The bibliography is substantial and will provide many hours of further reading.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
April 26, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fascinating look at the Workhouses and the author has done extensive research. Too many books focus on the negatives of Workhouses but this author has done a great job explaining the good points and not exaggerating or sensationalizing the negatives. He states the good intentions of why the Workhouses were created but just like today's time, there is so much corruption that greatly hinders these good intentions.
This is a fascinating look at the Workhouses and the author has done extensive research. Too many books focus on the negatives of Workhouses but this author has done a great job explaining the good points and not exaggerating or sensationalizing the negatives. He states the good intentions of why the Workhouses were created but just like today's time, there is so much corruption that greatly hinders these good intentions.
March 7, 2021
In Victorian England, the desperately poor had the choice...seek charity or seek refuse as "indoor paupers" at the workhouse. The latter was the absolute last resort and were at times described as worse than prison due to treatment, forced mindless labour such as oakum picking, the bare minimum amount of (terrible) food and unsanitary conditions. The author describes bleak "life" in the workhouse from first arriving to being segregated into groups to being bathed and clothed (usually dreadful clothing) to sleeping on the floor in cold and poorly-ventilated rooms to choking down grease/onion "soup". Not only that but inmates were privy to beatings and sometimes starvation. Disease and vermin were common.
That the book describes the New Poor Law in detail and those who implemented laws and the workhouse employees, especially those chosen (preferably married couples) as masters and matrons who were poorly paid and sometimes cruel and harsh is fascinating. Of course some workhouses were better than others but the innocent paupers were punished for being poor. One instance of a father taking a suet pudding to his son and it being swiped from his hand by an employee at the last second is heartbreaking. Vegetable plots were common but unfortunately not used at the workhouses themselves! It is no wonder that the temptation to bribe and steal were so strong, though that met with punishment. Workhouses were built to reform and get people working but they had worse effects and most people (other than casuals) didn't ever leave, dying in them. The author describes the differences between "deserving" and undeserving poor and the levels of poverty within the walls. We also see how the children, old, infirm and mentally disabled were treated. The experiences of Charlie Chaplin, Jack London and Charles Dickens are referred to.
This is an intriguing book for any Nonfiction reader. Heartbreaking, of course. These were real people. Some reformers and advocates really did want to help...in the right way...but most viewed the poor as an illness or something to be avoided and they suffered as a consequence.
My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword for the privilege of reading this thought-provoking and sobering book. It is obviously not enjoyable but the topic is something we should all know more about.
That the book describes the New Poor Law in detail and those who implemented laws and the workhouse employees, especially those chosen (preferably married couples) as masters and matrons who were poorly paid and sometimes cruel and harsh is fascinating. Of course some workhouses were better than others but the innocent paupers were punished for being poor. One instance of a father taking a suet pudding to his son and it being swiped from his hand by an employee at the last second is heartbreaking. Vegetable plots were common but unfortunately not used at the workhouses themselves! It is no wonder that the temptation to bribe and steal were so strong, though that met with punishment. Workhouses were built to reform and get people working but they had worse effects and most people (other than casuals) didn't ever leave, dying in them. The author describes the differences between "deserving" and undeserving poor and the levels of poverty within the walls. We also see how the children, old, infirm and mentally disabled were treated. The experiences of Charlie Chaplin, Jack London and Charles Dickens are referred to.
This is an intriguing book for any Nonfiction reader. Heartbreaking, of course. These were real people. Some reformers and advocates really did want to help...in the right way...but most viewed the poor as an illness or something to be avoided and they suffered as a consequence.
My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword for the privilege of reading this thought-provoking and sobering book. It is obviously not enjoyable but the topic is something we should all know more about.
April 20, 2021
I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Workhouse by Simon Fowler is a well-researched, fascinating (though somewhat grim) account of life in Britain's workhouses.
Today the workhouses conjure up images of abuse and horror, and rightfully so, but they actually began as charitable institutions to look after the poor, elderly, disabled, and unmarried mothers. In effect, they functioned as an early type of social welfare, something that was not seen in many other Western countries until much later. Like many well intentioned ventures, the workhouses were not without their problems, and many of the same problems still occur today - like 'concerns' about people becoming too reliant on welfare to the point where they 'decide' not to work, or the overseers taking cuts of the money or produce to fund their own lifestyles.
Fowler explores all aspects of the workhouse, including (but not limited to) the working conditions, daily life, and the organisation of the workhouses. There are also images, and inclusions of memoirs and letters by people who lived and worked in workhouses.
The Workhouse was extremely easy to read (writing wise, not content wise), and is a valuable resource for those who are interested in history (and family history in particular.)
The Workhouse by Simon Fowler is a well-researched, fascinating (though somewhat grim) account of life in Britain's workhouses.
Today the workhouses conjure up images of abuse and horror, and rightfully so, but they actually began as charitable institutions to look after the poor, elderly, disabled, and unmarried mothers. In effect, they functioned as an early type of social welfare, something that was not seen in many other Western countries until much later. Like many well intentioned ventures, the workhouses were not without their problems, and many of the same problems still occur today - like 'concerns' about people becoming too reliant on welfare to the point where they 'decide' not to work, or the overseers taking cuts of the money or produce to fund their own lifestyles.
Fowler explores all aspects of the workhouse, including (but not limited to) the working conditions, daily life, and the organisation of the workhouses. There are also images, and inclusions of memoirs and letters by people who lived and worked in workhouses.
The Workhouse was extremely easy to read (writing wise, not content wise), and is a valuable resource for those who are interested in history (and family history in particular.)
March 30, 2021
THE WORKHOUSE by Simon Fowler
In the nineteenth century, if you were poor, had given birth to an illegitimate child, or were unable to take care of yourself, you could be placed in a workhouse or voluntarily go there. It was not a pleasant place to be. Corruption ran rampant among the wardens and people in charge of the inmates. They would siphon off funds and even food or clothing meant for the most destitute of the population and sell off the products so that they would be able to live a gluttonous life or in order to leave tidy sums to leave to their heirs when they passed on.
The inmates toiled for ten hours a day for a few crumbs and no creature comforts. They were abused, beaten, molested, and otherwise humiliated.
It is good to read about the horrors of these poor people's experiences so that these are remembered and never allowed to occur again.
Thank you to #netgalley for the complimentary copy of #theworkhouse I was under no obligation to post a review.
In the nineteenth century, if you were poor, had given birth to an illegitimate child, or were unable to take care of yourself, you could be placed in a workhouse or voluntarily go there. It was not a pleasant place to be. Corruption ran rampant among the wardens and people in charge of the inmates. They would siphon off funds and even food or clothing meant for the most destitute of the population and sell off the products so that they would be able to live a gluttonous life or in order to leave tidy sums to leave to their heirs when they passed on.
The inmates toiled for ten hours a day for a few crumbs and no creature comforts. They were abused, beaten, molested, and otherwise humiliated.
It is good to read about the horrors of these poor people's experiences so that these are remembered and never allowed to occur again.
Thank you to #netgalley for the complimentary copy of #theworkhouse I was under no obligation to post a review.
April 6, 2021
A fascinating and well-researched book into the truly dreadful institutions known as Workhouses. I cannot imagine the desperation of many of the inmates to allow themselves to be subjected to incredible humiliation, abuse, and squalor, rather than starve on the streets.
From my perspective, the treatment of unmarried mothers and their 'bastard' children was appalling in every respect. From research, I understand that my grandfather was born in a Workhouse, it was quite emotional to read how his mother would have been treated by the staff and the system.
We are fortunate that Workhouses no longer exist and that we have reasonably good social services in place in the UK. However, I am really concerned that with the dual impacts of Covid and the economic collapse due to Brexit, we may see similar institutions being put in place to cope with the rising levels of poverty, destitution, and homelessness.
From my perspective, the treatment of unmarried mothers and their 'bastard' children was appalling in every respect. From research, I understand that my grandfather was born in a Workhouse, it was quite emotional to read how his mother would have been treated by the staff and the system.
We are fortunate that Workhouses no longer exist and that we have reasonably good social services in place in the UK. However, I am really concerned that with the dual impacts of Covid and the economic collapse due to Brexit, we may see similar institutions being put in place to cope with the rising levels of poverty, destitution, and homelessness.
December 3, 2025
My Review of "The Workhouse..."
This book by Simon Fowler describes the origin of workhouses, the increasing numbers in existence as time went on and their purpose. Also, it describes the physical atmosphere inside, the life of those who entered there and the public's general reaction to their existence.
I found the book to be very thorough in detail in many regards and lacking in much detail of those that resided there. And although I had heard of "The Poor Law" and workhouses, I really didn't know much about them. In that respect I learned much more with regard to this time period in London and surrounding areas.
I wish the author had also included things like how a family decided that a workhouse was their best solution and what was "the straw that broke the camel's back" so to speak! I did appreciate the illustrations but over all found the book itself a bit tedious.
This book by Simon Fowler describes the origin of workhouses, the increasing numbers in existence as time went on and their purpose. Also, it describes the physical atmosphere inside, the life of those who entered there and the public's general reaction to their existence.
I found the book to be very thorough in detail in many regards and lacking in much detail of those that resided there. And although I had heard of "The Poor Law" and workhouses, I really didn't know much about them. In that respect I learned much more with regard to this time period in London and surrounding areas.
I wish the author had also included things like how a family decided that a workhouse was their best solution and what was "the straw that broke the camel's back" so to speak! I did appreciate the illustrations but over all found the book itself a bit tedious.
April 26, 2021
What a nightmare this system was. The work house was a place of last resort for the poor, elderly, ill, children, babies, families and of really very little use to anyone. Much like later orphan homes , there really was no over site of them. Suffering continued unabated for a too long a time on both sides of the Atlantic. Industrialization brought about much suffering. No real societal safety nets, other than charity. And charity never covered very much. Work houses were a nightmare for their inhabitants. Though this book deals primarily with English Work Houses, the early American colonies also had established poor houses. Some even existed in the 1970's! Ours weren't any better... Well documented and researched book. If you ever wanted to learn about them this book is a very insightful read.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
March 21, 2021
This was an excellent introduction to the topic - I knew a little bit about it but didn't realise the nuances between various workhouses, and how they evolved over time. It also brings to life the different experiences of the people who would have lived there - the children and the able-bodied, who would have had a particularly difficult experience, but also the elderly and the sick who might actually get some comfort (not always!) and care. It also highlights the testimonials from former housemates through memoirs and letters - including young Charlie Chaplin who spent some time as a child in Lambeth Workhouse.
It was well-written and easy to follow. Really enjoyed it.
Free copy sent by Netgalley.
It was well-written and easy to follow. Really enjoyed it.
Free copy sent by Netgalley.
July 13, 2023
One of my ancestors died in an English workhouse, so I was very interested the topic. The author certainly does what the title promises. He presents the people, the places, and the life in a workhouse. The information is presented matter-of-factly, without exaggeration or sensationalizing. The facts speak for themselves -- and are often heartbreaking. The book includes resources for further research, a bibliography, and helpful suggestions for those who want to know more. There are a few editing errors -- "dinning hall" and a repeated paragraph, and this book is likely more than many people would want to know, but it is well-researched, well-documented, and comprehensive. Worthwhile reading.
March 29, 2018
Insightful history of the infrastructure of the workhouses. Highly detailed and well written. Would have perhaps structured it differently. Interesting to think about how society has changed over the years. Is society still separated into classes and divisions? There certainly still is an element of the rich gettting richer - and the poor get poorer.
Interesting that roles reversed in terms of medical care. Medically society is predominantly governed by the poorer communities nowadays. Still under pressure financially but better training and infrastructure of staff. More frustrating that opposites have reversed- there is more care but money is prioritised elsewhere due to environmental concerns etc. Politicians often struggle to prioritise the money to the right areas and often come under immense pressure and criticism for their decisions.
Interesting that roles reversed in terms of medical care. Medically society is predominantly governed by the poorer communities nowadays. Still under pressure financially but better training and infrastructure of staff. More frustrating that opposites have reversed- there is more care but money is prioritised elsewhere due to environmental concerns etc. Politicians often struggle to prioritise the money to the right areas and often come under immense pressure and criticism for their decisions.
March 13, 2021
A fascinating and very comprehensive insight into what Workhouses were like to live or work in and the circumstances in which you were admitted.
Poignant, sad and heartbreaking in places but a very honest assessment and I feel I learned a great deal. Raises a lot of questions about welfare and how the poor were treated in the past and how much variation there was.
I was particularly interested in the insights into Southwell Workhouse as I grew up in a village just six miles from there and was aware of the building and it’s existence.
All key areas are covered with lots of examples and quotes and some very interesting pictures and contemporary sources.
Definitely a recommended read.
Poignant, sad and heartbreaking in places but a very honest assessment and I feel I learned a great deal. Raises a lot of questions about welfare and how the poor were treated in the past and how much variation there was.
I was particularly interested in the insights into Southwell Workhouse as I grew up in a village just six miles from there and was aware of the building and it’s existence.
All key areas are covered with lots of examples and quotes and some very interesting pictures and contemporary sources.
Definitely a recommended read.
April 28, 2021
Someone looking for a book containing every single thing there is to know about the workhouse in 19th century England will love this. For someone who is only mildly interested in this topic it will sometimes be a bore and you might give this one a pass.
The book goes into very great detail and only from about 40% in I found the writing style to become a bit more engaging. The first 40% felt like an info dump with all life sucked out of it.
From 87% onwards you will find the appendix, bibliography, articles used, and some photographs and maps. This information could come very much in handy for people interested in family genealogy and any research relating to that.
The book goes into very great detail and only from about 40% in I found the writing style to become a bit more engaging. The first 40% felt like an info dump with all life sucked out of it.
From 87% onwards you will find the appendix, bibliography, articles used, and some photographs and maps. This information could come very much in handy for people interested in family genealogy and any research relating to that.
May 6, 2024
After watching Call the Midwife, I was really curious as to what workhouses were really like. From everything I've ever heard they were horrible and those that were lucky to outlast them, always carried the trauma with them.
I found this book incredibly well-done. Fowler seemed to have done his research in spades. The picture painted was one of absolute suffering. Before reading this I thought I knew how awful the Victorian workhouses were--I came away with a whole new appreciation for what those stuck in them went through. Fowler did a great job of bringing the reader into what life was like.
I found this book incredibly well-done. Fowler seemed to have done his research in spades. The picture painted was one of absolute suffering. Before reading this I thought I knew how awful the Victorian workhouses were--I came away with a whole new appreciation for what those stuck in them went through. Fowler did a great job of bringing the reader into what life was like.
February 8, 2018
This book is an extensively researched look at British workhouses.
The tone is a little dry and perhaps rely a little too much on statistics, but obviously a ton of research went into this and it does paint a complete picture of a people and an era. The author does tend to downplay
any sensationalistic aspects of the topic (i.e., "horror stories"). He also eschews (sometimes disdainfully) any hints of melodrama and/or sentimentality. The result is, perhaps, a more even-handed and rounded examination of this kind of social experiment.
In spite of the scholarliness, it is pretty readable, although it could have used a couple more checks by an editor. The same thoughts and conclusions are hit more than once and certain phrases and sentences make encore appearances (including a block quote that was repeated twice in the same chapter).
All in all, a decent overview.
The tone is a little dry and perhaps rely a little too much on statistics, but obviously a ton of research went into this and it does paint a complete picture of a people and an era. The author does tend to downplay
any sensationalistic aspects of the topic (i.e., "horror stories"). He also eschews (sometimes disdainfully) any hints of melodrama and/or sentimentality. The result is, perhaps, a more even-handed and rounded examination of this kind of social experiment.
In spite of the scholarliness, it is pretty readable, although it could have used a couple more checks by an editor. The same thoughts and conclusions are hit more than once and certain phrases and sentences make encore appearances (including a block quote that was repeated twice in the same chapter).
All in all, a decent overview.
March 13, 2021
This is absolutely fascinating. Without descending into “poverty porn,” the author presents a compassionate and well researched insight into the reality of being poor over generations of different welfare models. This book differs from other histories in this area through its thorough examination of the workhouse system itself, considering why the model came to be in the first place and how it was managed - and challenged - over the years. A very interesting book.
March 23, 2021
Simon Fowler has done a tremendous amount of research to offer so much material on the workhouse--the absolutely last place anyone would have wanted to have been sent in 19th century England. Many preferred to starve than endure the indignities of this last resort. The book would be a good reference for academic study.
April 3, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book. I learn alot about what is was like living in a work house. This book was well researched and packed with information and descriptions of workhouse that were even local to me which amazed me. At the end there is a very useful guide on how to look up if your ancestors were ever in a work house.
July 19, 2021
An insight into what Workhouses were like to live or work in, considering why theirs came to be in the and how they were managed. Quite often heartbreaking , but always an honest assessment Raises a lot of questions about welfare and how the poor are treated now as much as in the past. A very interesting book.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
December 7, 2021
Simon Fowler's The Workhouse was a fascinating and useful account of life in the workhouse of the nineteenth century with many interesting facts. It is a great introduction to these dreadful institutions.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2026
A really fascinating book although some of the typos were a tad distracting.
September 4, 2014
Simon Fowler has written a thoroughly researched book of some 240 pages, on the evolving history of the workhouse, using, in the main, the extensive records of the National Archives. He presents a fascinating and well written history littered liberally with quotes and examples from both well run and unbelievably dreadful establishments. Clearly poor management and a lack of oversight lead to some of the worst abuses of mankind throughout the main period of their history from 1830 to the outbreak of WWI, but whether the blame could be laid at the lack of national policy and too much reliance on local interests is somewhat a subjective judgement. It is clear, though, that only when the worst cases of abuse reached the national press, was the law changed and oversight improved.
Fowler blames the huge increase in poverty on the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars in the mid-1810s and takes a Malthusian view that over population is largely to blame for the plight of the poor of this period. He includes a detailed account of the shortcomings of the out-relief system and briefly touches on how the Speenhamland system pushed more and more families to seek relief. (The Speenhamland System of 1795, was a method of giving relief to the poor, based on the price of bread and the number of children a man had but became widely abused and an increasing burden on the local tax payers. “It depressed the wages paid by farmers and removed the incentive for labourers to seek work.” Fowler.) Suggesting that the Poor Law worked well in the 17th and 18th centuries, and blaming the poverty on economic conditions seems to me to be missing the main cause of 19th century poverty.
The 19th Century social reformer, William Cobbett, would have argued with Fowler over this point. When Cobbett returned from 10 years in America, he wrote: “When I saw those whom I had known the most neat, cheerful and happy beings on earth, and these my countrymen too, had become the most wretched and forlorn of human beings, I looked seriously and inquired patiently into the matter …” As Richard Ingrams wrote, in his 'Life and Adventures of William Cobbett', “What had caused the decline? Cobbett instanced two major factors: firstly the continuing series of enclosures, whereby the common lands which traditionally provided labourers with a source of food and fuel to supplement their earnings had been taken over or 'privatised' by the rich farmers and landowners in the interests of 'greater efficiency. Secondly, the newly introduced Poor Laws, known as the Speenhamland System, intended when they were launched in 1795 to help the poorest labourers by making up their pay from the rates, but which had the effect of branding them as paupers, so robbing them of all self-respect. 'The labourers are humbled, debased and enslaved. Until of late years, there was amongst the poor, a horror of becoming chargeable to the Parish … the labourer now, in but too many instances, takes care to spend all as fast as he gets it, makes himself as poor as he can and uses all the art that he is master of to cause it to be believed that he is still more miserable than he really is.”
It is only when Fowler ventures into the causes for the 30% that lived below the poverty line, that the book fails, in my opinion, but that is not the main point of the book, which is to 'reveal the reality behind the legend'. As he writes “these institutional monsters became what the New Poor Law intended – the last resort of the desperate.” In exposing that 'reality' Fowler does an excellent job.
Fowler's Dickens quote summed up the stark choice facing many of the poor of the day: “of being starved by gradual process in the house or by a quick one out of it.”
Fowler blames the huge increase in poverty on the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars in the mid-1810s and takes a Malthusian view that over population is largely to blame for the plight of the poor of this period. He includes a detailed account of the shortcomings of the out-relief system and briefly touches on how the Speenhamland system pushed more and more families to seek relief. (The Speenhamland System of 1795, was a method of giving relief to the poor, based on the price of bread and the number of children a man had but became widely abused and an increasing burden on the local tax payers. “It depressed the wages paid by farmers and removed the incentive for labourers to seek work.” Fowler.) Suggesting that the Poor Law worked well in the 17th and 18th centuries, and blaming the poverty on economic conditions seems to me to be missing the main cause of 19th century poverty.
The 19th Century social reformer, William Cobbett, would have argued with Fowler over this point. When Cobbett returned from 10 years in America, he wrote: “When I saw those whom I had known the most neat, cheerful and happy beings on earth, and these my countrymen too, had become the most wretched and forlorn of human beings, I looked seriously and inquired patiently into the matter …” As Richard Ingrams wrote, in his 'Life and Adventures of William Cobbett', “What had caused the decline? Cobbett instanced two major factors: firstly the continuing series of enclosures, whereby the common lands which traditionally provided labourers with a source of food and fuel to supplement their earnings had been taken over or 'privatised' by the rich farmers and landowners in the interests of 'greater efficiency. Secondly, the newly introduced Poor Laws, known as the Speenhamland System, intended when they were launched in 1795 to help the poorest labourers by making up their pay from the rates, but which had the effect of branding them as paupers, so robbing them of all self-respect. 'The labourers are humbled, debased and enslaved. Until of late years, there was amongst the poor, a horror of becoming chargeable to the Parish … the labourer now, in but too many instances, takes care to spend all as fast as he gets it, makes himself as poor as he can and uses all the art that he is master of to cause it to be believed that he is still more miserable than he really is.”
It is only when Fowler ventures into the causes for the 30% that lived below the poverty line, that the book fails, in my opinion, but that is not the main point of the book, which is to 'reveal the reality behind the legend'. As he writes “these institutional monsters became what the New Poor Law intended – the last resort of the desperate.” In exposing that 'reality' Fowler does an excellent job.
Fowler's Dickens quote summed up the stark choice facing many of the poor of the day: “of being starved by gradual process in the house or by a quick one out of it.”
August 17, 2016
Taking off from my recent reading of the Great Britain's Edwardian era and the current housing situation in urban areas in the United Kingdom, Simon Fowler's "Workhouse" is a fitting accompanying piece to these previous titles. Workhouse initially reads like a thesis--whose passages follow a serious tone and a rigid structure in its first chapter but opens up like a reportage in the next few chapters. Right off the bat, what I liked about the book is that it attempts to erase some significantly whitewashed facts perpetuated during the time period.
With a trove of archival materials as supporting documents, Fowler also provides a decent overview of the architecture of workhouse all over the island, which functions more like a prison rather than a space for recuperation and assistance, looking at the progression of the Poor Law implemented at first and gave birth to the workhouse. What got me hooked were the stories shared by the paupers, vagrants, transients, and others passing through the workhouses. Most of these tread on the negative path, however, there were a few silver linings to it as education and an attempt to give a glimmer of hope for the destitute came into the picture at times. Today, most of these workhouses have been demolished or repurposed, but the dismal mood remains hanging.
With a trove of archival materials as supporting documents, Fowler also provides a decent overview of the architecture of workhouse all over the island, which functions more like a prison rather than a space for recuperation and assistance, looking at the progression of the Poor Law implemented at first and gave birth to the workhouse. What got me hooked were the stories shared by the paupers, vagrants, transients, and others passing through the workhouses. Most of these tread on the negative path, however, there were a few silver linings to it as education and an attempt to give a glimmer of hope for the destitute came into the picture at times. Today, most of these workhouses have been demolished or repurposed, but the dismal mood remains hanging.
September 12, 2011
I read this simply because a passing reference to workhouses in a TV documentary pricked an interest which I was keen to follow. The book does not disappoint - its descriptions of conditions in many workhouses are more powerful for being presented in an unfussy and unsentimental way, with judicious use of quotations from primary sources. I imagine a serious researcher would have been happier with footnotes and detailed references, but these were unnecessary for my purposes. I would have liked a more extensive treatment of the twentieth century workhouse experience, but I'm sure I'll find this by following some of the useful suggestions for further reading.
January 16, 2015
I spent the first portion of this book frustrated that I wasn't hearing more perspective from the inmates of the workhouses and then I began to realize that they really had no voice and there is very little record of their personal experiences. This book was incredibly informative and I was captured because I have several family members, who, according to workhouses when they were elderly. I was actually grateful at the books clinical, text book approach. The topic is heart breaking, but Mr. Fowler's approach was balanced and well researched.
November 14, 2016
Meticulously researched. A graphic account of a country's internal struggle to get out of a self-defeating social mindset. There's no romanticizing, just plenty of raw and overwhelming data.
June 15, 2013
As one would expect from a National Archive publication, both scholarly and well illustrated
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews