| Bread must be more than one day old... | ||
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The Board
of Guardians who ran the workhouse had regular meetings, and
their instructions were written in leather-bound Minute
Books. Just one book from Crickhowell Union remains, but it
has many entries which tell us a lot about life
in the workhouse in the early Victorian years. |
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20th
October
1836 |
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| "The
quality to be best seconds, to be delivered at Llangattock Poor House, Crickhowell
Poor House, Llanelly and Tretower. The bread to be not less than 24 nor
more than 48 hours old." The normal food given to paupers was chosen for its cheapness, and was barely enough to live on, except for one decent meal every year, at Christmas... |
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17th
December
1838 |
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"That the inmates of the Workhouse be allowed a substantial dinner on Christmas Day, consisting of roast beef and plum pudding, with a pint of ale to each adult individual". |
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The regular weekly diet for the workhouse
in 1838 was almost the same as for
prisoners in Brecon jail ! It was
mostly bread and soup, with potatoes and a little cheap meat for dinner,
and some cheese. Packed off to the workhouse...
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RDR
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