Oswestry, Shropshire

In the newly-erected vagrant wards, there are eight separate sleeping wards for males; each containing a guard bed, a rug, a pint jug for water, and a utensil; and four others, each containing two guard beds, two rugs, &c. There is also a separate bell-pull in each ward communicating with the porter's lodge, where two attendants are on duty (inmates of the workhouse) all night, and one during the day.

There is therefore separate accommodation for 12 men, and if the number exceeds that, which is rarely the case, the double cells are occupied by two, thus affording accommodation for 16 men.

The female ward, although in the same range, is separate and complete in itself, containing one sleeping-room, and providing accommodation for 8 or 10 women and children. Ordinary iron bedsteads, with straw beds and rugs, are in use in this ward, and there is a bath-room and water-closet adjacent.

If on any emergency the males exceed 16 in number, the remainder are placed in the vacant women's ward, the most respectable being always selected for this purpose. The women, if any, are then lodged in the receiving ward of the house. This, however, has only occurred once in four months.

The main features of this system are separation, cleanliness, and the enforcing of labour in return for food and lodging.

The vagrants apply at the police station for a ticket of admission, which is then brought by them to the porter's lodge at the workhouse. He enters. their description, &c., in a book kept for that purpose, and then sends them round by the public road to the vagrant ward, where they are received by the attendant, who at once takes them to the bath-room. If more than five arrive at the same time, the remainder are placed in the separate labour wards until they can be attended to. The vagrant is then required to strip off all his clothing and hang them upon a set of hooks, of which there are 20. The clothing is then removed into the fumigating room, in the order in which the vagrants arrive, and the heat there is sufficient to destroy during the night all vermin which may infest them.

The vagrant is then thoroughly bathed in warm water, and is provided with a night dress made of a coarse material called drabbett, which comes below the knees, and which serves the twofold office of night-shirt and dressing-gown; being further provided with a pair of clogs, he is then shown into his sleeping ward.

The women are similarly treated in their own wards by an elderly woman, an inmate, who is specially directed to perform the duty.

By removing from the vagrants every vestige of clothing, the facilities afforded for searching them are most effectual.

The supper is served in the sleeping wards to all who arrive before 7 o'clock p.m., and to those who can satisfactorily account for being late, or whose apparent condition is such as to require food under any circumstances. The supper hour is limited to 7 o'clock, to prevent the vagrants begging about the town and neighbourhood after having received the order of admission from the police; and by an agreement with them the time of issuing the ticket is marked thereon, as also any delay that may have occurred at the police station. The supper consists of six ounces of bread and two ounces of cheese, or, in lieu of the latter, one pint of good soup. In the morning the attendant brings out the clothing, suit by suit, and places it in the labour wards in the number corresponding with that of the sleeping wards occupied by each vagrant respectively. Breakfast is then served to each in the sleeping ward, and consists of six ounces of bread and one pint of oatmeal gruel, of the same quality as that supplied to the inmates; children are dieted the same as those of corresponding ages in the workhouse.

Breakfast over, the male vagrant is removed to the labour ward, where he dresses himself, and where he finds his prescribed task of work ready for him; he is then locked in, and is required to break four cwt. of stone; a hooded screen is let down and fixed at an angle of 40°, and through this he must throw the stones fairly with a shovel. All that are of a proper size pass through into the adjacent yard, and those that are too large for the gauge roll back again into the ward to be rebroken. As soon as the task is completed he is allowed to come out of the labour ward, and is then required to wheel away the stones to the general heap, after which he may wash himself and leave the premises.

As soon as the men are all locked in their respective labour wards the women, if any, are required to scrub out and clean the sleeping wards, the bath-room, their own wards, &., in charge of the female attendant.

The whole system works easily and effectually, and some hundreds of vagrants have now passed through the routine.

In cases of refusal to perform the task, the delinquent is given in charge, and unless the medical officer certifies that he is physically incapable of performing the task, he is speedily dealt with by a magistrate and committed to prison.

The cost of the buildings, including all additions and alterations, fittings and appliances, together with the estimated value of the original ward, is, in round numbers, 450l., but I believe the same accommodation could be provided by erecting an entirely new building for 350l. Each vagrant costs 3½d, i.e.,for food 2d,and for fuel, lights, soap, &c.1½d., and in return for this the value of the labour of each just covers the cost of the food. There is also, in addition, a clear profit upon the sale of the stones 1s. 4d. per cubic yard.

In the plan, a flue, which is not shown, passes on a level with the floor from the furnace of the fumigating room through all the sleeping wards, warming them to about 60°.