Genealogy Australia

Whether it was 'the bastille', 'the spike', 'the work'us', or simply 'the house', the Victorian workhouse was the cause of dread and shame for thousands of men, women and children. The workhouse was the last resort, and the authorities intended that it should be seen as such. This book looks at the principles which lay behind the New Poor Law of 1834; at the design and construction of workhouses; and at the lives of those who entered them, either as officers or as paupers.

Contents:
The basis of the Victorian Poor Law
The design and construction of workhouses
Staffing the workhouse
The routine of the workhouse
Vagrants
The last days of the workhouse
Further reading
Places to visit