Long-term Workhouse Inmates in Wells Union, Somerset, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Collier | 6 | 0 | Age and infirmity | no. |
| Ellen Escott | 21 | 0 | Idiotic | no. |
| Edward Kirton | 11 | 0 | Age and infirmity | no. |
| John Wilkins | 21 | 0 | Idiotic | no. |
| George Wills | 8 | 0 | Weak mind | no. |
| Charles Harvey | 9 | 0 | Age, &c. | no. |
| William Tinney | 19 | 0 | Deformity, unable to walk or stand. | workh. school. |
| Abigail Newport | 12 | 0 | Idiocy | no. |
| Thomas Linham | 13 | 0 | Age; subject to fits | no. |
| Robert Harvey | 13 | 0 | Age and lameness | no. |
For US readers 
Unless otherwise indicated, this page () is copyright Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.