Long-term Workhouse Inmates in Dorchester Union, Dorset, 1861
In 1861, the Poor Law Board published a return of the name every adult pauper who had been a workhouse inmate for a continuous period of five years or more, together with the duration of their residence (in years and months), the reason for it, and whether they had been brought up in a District or separate Workhouse School. It was noted that the term 'District School' had been widely misinterpreted by respondents as meaning any school in the local area, such as a national or private school, and that there was only one instance in the whole report of an inmate actually having been in such a school.
| Name | Yrs | ms. | Reason | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Clark | 23 | 0 | Paralysis | no. |
| Fanny Barrett | 5 | 0 | Imbecile | no. |
| Henry Buckler | 8 | 6 | Weak mind | no. |
| Harriett Hammett | not known | Imbecile | workh. school. | |
| Elizabeth Tezard | not known | Idiotic | no. |
For US readers 
Unless otherwise indicated, this page () is copyright Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.