Leigh Union workhouse
Encyclopedia
Leigh Union workhouse, also known as the Leigh workhouse and after 1930, Atherleigh Hospital, was a workhouse
built in 1850 by the Leigh Poor Law Union
on Leigh Road, Atherton
in the historic county of Lancashire
.
. Workhouse
s were more common from the end of the 17th century and provided indoor relief. Pauper children, especially orphans, were often apprenticed to local craftsmen to learn a trade and ease the burden on the poor rates.
township had a workhouse in King Street, now Leigh
town centre, from about 1739. It had stocks
and a whipping post and served “as a prison for evildoers and a place for the unhappy poor”. Rules were strictly enforced and churchgoing was compulsory. In 1777 the churchwardens leased the workhouse to two "speculators", who ran it for a salary of £9 per annum, "five quarters of coal" from each township, 15d (6p) a week for each inmate and the profits from the labours of the poor. The speculators were to find food, drink, washing and accommodation, which encouraged exploitation and harsh conditions. Usually the workhouse had few inmates; there were five in 1792, but numbers increased from the time of the Napoleonic wars
. It was sold in 1822.
Atherton's workhouse was in Hag Fold and lasted until the Leigh Union was created.
Tyldesley had a workhouse after 1798 when the town started to grow rapidly. The governor's salary was £1 per month in
1798 and rose to £1 18s (£1.90) in 1808, the matron's wage was 8s (40p) a month in 1800. Inmates, unless incapacitated, had to work both outside and inside and the profit from their labour offset maintenance costs. The house had hand loom
s for weaving and some inmates were sent to work in the new cotton factories.
was passed to reform the way in which relief was given to the poor and resulted in the formation of Poor Law Union
s across the country. Leigh Poor Law Union was established on 26 January 1837 in accordance with the Poor Law Amendment Act covering six townships, Astley
, Atherton
, Bedford
, Pennington
, Tyldesley
with Shakerley
and Westleigh
of the ancient parish of Leigh
plus Culcheth
, Lowton
, and part of Winwick
. The population of the townships was about 26,000.
The Poor Law Union was run by a board of eighteen Guardians
, assisted by the Overseers. A medical officer was appointed “to attend duly and punctually upon all paupers falling sick within the limits of the Union.” The Overseers of the old poor law were retained and the new Guardians included Richard Hodgkinson, Lord Lilford's agent and James Pownall, the silk
manufacturer.
The Leigh Poor Law Union in 1837 used existing workhouses in Lowton and Culcheth. After 1840, numbers of inmates in the workhouse rarely exceeded 200 at any given time. The Guardians report in 1840 found the inmates employed in cotton weaving and nailing.
The new union workhouse at Atherleigh on Leigh Road in Atherton was completed in 1855. The land was bought from Lord Lilford and cost £640. The red brick workhouse, later described as a "fine Gothic building" cost £8,000. After 1930 it was used as a hospital and closed in 1990. It was demolished and the site is occupied by housing.
In 1840 the workhouse diet was adequate, consisting of "Breakfast: milk porridge (1 quart for adults; 3 gills for children 10 to 15 years; 1 pint for children under 10 years) and wheaten bread. Dinner: bacon, potatoes, bread, pea soup. Supper: 1 quart of meal porridge, 1 pint of butter milk. Special meals were provided on Christmas Day, such as in 1853, when the inmates received roast beef and plum pudding."
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
built in 1850 by the Leigh Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
on Leigh Road, Atherton
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
in the historic county of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
.
Background
The Elizabethan Poor Law made the townships the unit of administration of the poor laws, and each appointed unpaid Overseers of the Poor to collect poor rates. Paupers were given cash or kind as outdoor reliefOutdoor relief
This article refers to Britain's welfare provision after the 1601 Poor Law. For welfare programmes see Social securityAfter the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law , outdoor relief was that kind of poor relief where assistance was in the form of money, food, clothing or goods, given to alleviate...
. Workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
s were more common from the end of the 17th century and provided indoor relief. Pauper children, especially orphans, were often apprenticed to local craftsmen to learn a trade and ease the burden on the poor rates.
Workhouses before 1837
There were several small workhouses in the area of the Poor Law Union dating from the 18th century. The PenningtonPennington, Greater Manchester
Pennington, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Pennington, Westleigh and Bedford that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh...
township had a workhouse in King Street, now Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
town centre, from about 1739. It had stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
and a whipping post and served “as a prison for evildoers and a place for the unhappy poor”. Rules were strictly enforced and churchgoing was compulsory. In 1777 the churchwardens leased the workhouse to two "speculators", who ran it for a salary of £9 per annum, "five quarters of coal" from each township, 15d (6p) a week for each inmate and the profits from the labours of the poor. The speculators were to find food, drink, washing and accommodation, which encouraged exploitation and harsh conditions. Usually the workhouse had few inmates; there were five in 1792, but numbers increased from the time of the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. It was sold in 1822.
Atherton's workhouse was in Hag Fold and lasted until the Leigh Union was created.
Tyldesley had a workhouse after 1798 when the town started to grow rapidly. The governor's salary was £1 per month in
1798 and rose to £1 18s (£1.90) in 1808, the matron's wage was 8s (40p) a month in 1800. Inmates, unless incapacitated, had to work both outside and inside and the profit from their labour offset maintenance costs. The house had hand loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s for weaving and some inmates were sent to work in the new cotton factories.
The Poor Law Union
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
was passed to reform the way in which relief was given to the poor and resulted in the formation of Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
s across the country. Leigh Poor Law Union was established on 26 January 1837 in accordance with the Poor Law Amendment Act covering six townships, Astley
Astley, Greater Manchester
Astley is a settlement within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England, variously described as a suburb or a village. Astley lies on flat land to the northwest of the city of Manchester, and is crossed by the Bridgewater Canal and the A580 "East Lancashire Road"...
, Atherton
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
, Bedford
Bedford, Greater Manchester
Bedford, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Bedford, Pennington and Westleigh, that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh.-Toponymy:...
, Pennington
Pennington, Greater Manchester
Pennington, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Pennington, Westleigh and Bedford that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh...
, Tyldesley
Tyldesley
Tyldesley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies an area north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, east-southeast of Wigan and west-northwest of the city of Manchester...
with Shakerley
Shakerley
Shakerley is a suburb of Tyldesley in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.It was anciently a hamlet in the northwest of the township of Tyldesley cum Shakerley, in the ancient parish ofLeigh....
and Westleigh
Westleigh, Greater Manchester
Westleigh, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Westleigh, Bedford, Greater Manchester and Pennington, that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh.-Toponymy:...
of the ancient parish of Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
plus Culcheth
Culcheth
Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two...
, Lowton
Lowton
Lowton is a village, part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is around from Leigh and south of Wigan. The settlement lies across the A580 East Lancashire Road....
, and part of Winwick
Winwick
Winwick may refer to:*Winwick, Cambridgeshire, England*Winwick, Cheshire, England*Winwick, Northamptonshire, England...
. The population of the townships was about 26,000.
The Poor Law Union was run by a board of eighteen Guardians
Board of Guardians
Boards of guardians were ad hoc authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930.-England and Wales:The boards were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish Overseers of the Poor established under the old poor law, following the recommendations...
, assisted by the Overseers. A medical officer was appointed “to attend duly and punctually upon all paupers falling sick within the limits of the Union.” The Overseers of the old poor law were retained and the new Guardians included Richard Hodgkinson, Lord Lilford's agent and James Pownall, the silk
manufacturer.
The Leigh Poor Law Union in 1837 used existing workhouses in Lowton and Culcheth. After 1840, numbers of inmates in the workhouse rarely exceeded 200 at any given time. The Guardians report in 1840 found the inmates employed in cotton weaving and nailing.
The new union workhouse at Atherleigh on Leigh Road in Atherton was completed in 1855. The land was bought from Lord Lilford and cost £640. The red brick workhouse, later described as a "fine Gothic building" cost £8,000. After 1930 it was used as a hospital and closed in 1990. It was demolished and the site is occupied by housing.
In 1840 the workhouse diet was adequate, consisting of "Breakfast: milk porridge (1 quart for adults; 3 gills for children 10 to 15 years; 1 pint for children under 10 years) and wheaten bread. Dinner: bacon, potatoes, bread, pea soup. Supper: 1 quart of meal porridge, 1 pint of butter milk. Special meals were provided on Christmas Day, such as in 1853, when the inmates received roast beef and plum pudding."