ERO Presents: Workhouse People

Speaker: Stephen Norris

When my book on the recent history of Chelmsford was published in 2014, I had no plans to write another local history book. I gave a variety of talks and have continued to write articles in the City Times. I found, however, that I really missed researching in the Record Office. This has resulted eight years later in my new book on the Chelmsford Poor Law Union and in particular its workhouse.

This talk concentrates on a number of people who were connected in various ways to the workhouse. These include Grace Bartlett who at one time was chair of six Poor Law Guardian Committees, who thought nothing of visiting Chelmsford pauper children in specialist homes as far away as Bristol. Later she founded 'Bartletts' a hostel for 'fallen women'. She also became one of the first probation officers in the country. Another person who features is Elizabeth Stock, a long term inmate who regularly broke dozens of windows in the workhouse. As a result, she regularly received hard labour in prison from the local petty sessions magistrates. who played a major role in running local society. A local architect, Frank Whitmore, is also included. He had a serious disagreement with the pre-eminent Essex architect Frederic Chancellor. Whitmore accused Chancellor of copying his designs for the rebuilding of the workhouse after the fire on 1886 which destroyed most of its buildings. Others include a pauper boy who the Guardians sent to the training ship Exmouth, off Tilbury, who went on to join the Royal Navy and eventually the RAF.

I will use the stories of these and other 'Workhouse People' to show how the workhouse operated and changed from 1838 when it opened to 1930 when it became a Public Assistance Institution.

Stephen Norris is a retired teacher who has always had a lifelong interest in history. He has lived in Chelmsford for 20 years and in that time has researched, written and self-published a history of the town/city, From A Borough to a City, taking Hilda Grieve’s story up to our own times. He has a particular interest in the history of the Chelmsford Union Workhouse.