KINGSBRIDGE WORK HOUSE DEVON

There were 700 Work Houses across the country in the Victorian Era. The Kingsbridge Poor Law Union was formed in 1836 and the Work House in Union Road was built the following year, for the sum of £5,673, to accommodate a total of 350 inmates from Kingsbridge and the surrounding 26 Parishes.
Its interesting to note from the 1881 Census there were 144 inmates listed in The Kingsbridge Work House.
Poor and disabled folk went to the work house as a last desperate measure
to stay alive, they were free to leave at anytime subject to certain conditions.
One great hardship was that families were separated into men, women, male children and female children. This caused a very high level of distress.
By 1948 these Work Houses had all but closed having transferred to Local Councils and Health Authorities.

[salcombebunker]

Very interesting part of our history, many thanks.

[kevchilton]

WOW! How sad Chris. If I hadn't seen this I would never have known about the workhouse in Kingsbridge and the impossible lives people were expected, or should I say forced to live. Your story about that tragic couple, who after all only wanted to work for a living is indeed heartbreaking. So sad and so unfair. Thank you for posting this.

[JodelFlyer]

Interesting local history Chris. Sad times but I expect it was true of much of the country at that time. Thanks for posting.

[johndavey]

Thank Chris . A not so pleasant time of life !