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.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Fowler (author) and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Everything you wanted to know about Workhouses is IN this book. The author has done a phenomenal job researching everything. From the designs throughout the years, to the hiring practices, reform acts, clothing, "jobs", food rations and menus to the very people who lived there and more.

It is a very comprehensive look at that time period and it is broken down in to a wonderful format of main chapters and subchapters within. At the end of the book there are some great pictures and illustrations.

All your questions will be answered after you read this book! Get it now!

Somewhat clinical, this view of the workhouse adds another insight into the situation of the poor during the time of the Poor Laws

My thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for a copy of “The Workhouse”for an honest review.
I eagerly look forward to any new Pen and Sword publications as I know how beneficial they have been to my family history research. I’ve found previous books and articles by Simon Fowler very useful
Even as someone who has been compiling their family tree for a while now I seem to find something of use in every new publication .This subject is of particular interest to me . Several of my ancestors had, unfortunately , reason to be in the workhouse at points in their lives . I also have family members who were master and governesses in the workhouse. This book was so useful to get an insight into both sides of the system .
A very interesting and informative read which I’m sure will continue to be of use when I’m looking into the lives of my ancestors.

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 a modern BBC costume drama 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.

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.

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.

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.