Stourbridge

Stourbridge

Lunacy Certificates
Admissions
Discharges

Stourbridge Union Workhouse

The Kingswinford Parish Workhouse was erected possibly as Almshouses circa 1767 on Stream Road, Kingswinford. The Stourbridge Poor Law Union was declared 19th September 1836 and the Parish Workhouse was enlarged to accommodate the increased numbers, from designs by Mr. Griffiths, architect. The Stourbridge Union comprised Cakemore, Cradley, Halesowen, Hasbury, Hawn Hill, Lapal, Lutley, Lye, Stourbridge, Upper Swinford, Wollaston, Wollescote, Amblecote, Brierley Hill, Quarry Bank and Kingswinford.

By 1861 the Stourbridge Union comprised an area of 16,200 acres and a population of 68,726.

Abstract of receipts and payments from the Poor Rate return for year ending 1878 and 1879

		1878			1879
Receipts	£	s	d	£	s	d
From poor rates	21,659	11	2¾	24,590	19	11½
By Overseers for rents &c	75	15	0
By Guardians for sale of pigs, nails, oakum, stones &c	593	0	5
Relief Paid	422	2	8½
Above three (sub total)				862	13	6
Treasury Repayments for
Salaries	298	8	2	310	12	0
Lunatics	1,005	10	0	1,110	8	0
Registrars	13	10	0	13	10	0
TOTAL	24,157	15	6½	26,888	3	5½

Expenditure
In Maintenance	3,794	5	5¾	3,894	0	6
Outdoor Relief	2,957	0	3½	3,683	7	10¼
Maintenance of Lunatics	2,613	4	0	2,720	4	3
Repayment of Loans	335	2	4	327	12	4
Salaries and rations	1,563	16	5½	1573	12	6¼
Other expenses consisting of repairs to Workhouse, furniture, bedding, purchase of nail-iron, old ropes, pigs, printing, stationary, advertising, election expenses &c &c	1,401	7	8	1,478	2	6
Purposes unconnected with relief to the Poor
Legal Expenses
County Rates	4,201	4	6	3,685	13	4
Highway Board
Rural Sanitary Authority	430	0	0	1230	0	0
School Boards	4,300	0	0	4,250	0	0
School Attendance Committee	8	18	7¾	50	0	0
Registration Fees	285	15	6	309	16	6
Vaccination Fees	301	3	2	315	19	10
Parliamentary Registration and Jury Lists	235	18	6	238	4	6
Partly connected and partly unconnected with relief to the Poor
Assessment Committee expenses	130	19	7½
Collection Salaries	480	6	0	480	0	0
Assistant Overseers Salaries	59	0	0	59	16	0
Burial Boards	748	10	0	906	16	0
Overseers expenses for office rent, printing, stationary &c	217	7	8	181	19	2
Magistrates Clerks Fees				9	13	6
TOTAL	24,163	13	9¾	25,533	6	5

Medical Certificates as to Lunatics in the Workhouse

Stourbridge Union

I, the undersigned, being the Medical Officer of the Workhouse of the above named Union situate at Kingswinford

am of the opinion that Sarah Waldron
of Oldswinford aged 27 years

being a lunatic or alleged lunatic is a proper person to be kept in a Workhouse

Dated this 31st day of May 1879

John Thomson
Medical Officer of the Workhouse

Stourbridge Union

I, the undersigned, being the Medical Officer of the Workhouse of the above named Union situate at Kingswinford

am of the opinion that Francis Elizabeth Butterworth
of Kingswinford aged 20 years

being a lunatic or alleged lunatic is a proper person to be kept in a Workhouse

Dated this 6th day of October 1879

John Thomson
Medical Officer of the Workhouse

Absconded 15th March 1880

Further certificates can be viewed by clicking on the Lunacy Certificates link on the left side of this page.

Many further additions were made and by 1896 the workhouse was certified to accommodate 520 inmates in the charge of Mr. William and Mrs Eleanor Davidson, Master and Matron.

The turn of the century brought increased need, which the ageing buildings could not accommodate hence between 1903 and 1907 the new Stourbridge Union Workhouse was erected. Built from designs by Arthur Marshall, architect and costing approx £100,000 it was certified to accommodate 725 inmates.

Workhouse Deaths
There were 76 deaths in the Workhouse week ending 1st April 1904

1 aged 93
12 aged 80 to 90
20 aged 70 to 80
17 aged 60 to 70
6 aged 50 to 60
4 aged 40 to 50
6 aged 30 to 40
3 aged 20 to 30
1 aged 3
6 infants

Three members of the Stourbridge poor law Union attended the 35th Annual Poor Law Conference held in Guildhall, London on 19th and 20th February 1907, and they were:
M'Nulty, Rev. T.J. (Chairman)
Parked, G.B. (Vice Chairman)
James, G.F. (Clerk)

The new Stourbridge Union Workhouse comprised:

Nurses Home

Ground Floor
2 Entrances
Sitting Room No. 1
Sitting Room No. 2
Head Nurse
Sick Room
2 Box Rooms
Corridors
Lavatory
W.C. and S.S.
Pantry
Scullery
Kitchen

First Floor
11 Bedrooms
Linen Room
2 W.C.
2 Bathrooms and Lavs
Corridor

Road from Nurses Home to Infirmary Corridor

Male V & I Ward (Venereal and Itch)

Ground Floor
Bathroom
W.C. & S.S.
4 Bed Dormitory
6 Bed Dormitory
W.C. & S.S.
Special Ward
Linen
Corridor
Ward Kitchen
Bathroom

Female V & I & Maternity Ward

Ground Floor
4 Bed Dormitory
6 Bed Dormitory
W.C. and Bathroom
W.C. & S.S.
Special Ward
1 store
Corridor
Ward Kitchen
Bathroom

First Floor
10 Bed Dormitory
Bath & W.C.
W.C. & S.S.
Labour Ward
Store
Corridor
Ward Kitchen

Infirmary Wards Male and Female
Basement, Ground and First Floor

Basement
2 Bathrooms
4 Rooms
2 Corridors
2 Dayrooms
2 W.C. and S.S.

Ground and First Floor
4 Bathrooms
4 Dayrooms
4 50 Bed Dormitory
4 W.C. and S.S.
4 Ward Kitchens
4 Linen
4 Corridors
4 2 Bed Wards
4 Bathrooms

Male and Female Imbeciles
Basement, Ground and First Floors

Basement
2 Bathrooms
2 Corridors
2 Dayrooms
2 W.C. and Lavs

Ground and First Floor
4 Bathrooms
4 Dayrooms
4 W.C. and S.S.
4 12 Bed Wards
4 11 Bed Wards
4 Attendants
8 Single Rooms
4 W.C. and Lavs
4 Ward Kitchens
4 Linen
4 2-Bed Wards
4 Corridors
4 Lavatories
2 Boots
2 W.C.

Infirmary Administrative
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
Entrance
Hall
Small Office
Medical Officer
Head Nurse
Scullery
Nurses Messroom
Receiving Room
Store
Staircase
Main Corridor
2 W.C.
Operating Room
Anaesthetic Room
Lobby
Dispensary
Store

First Floor
Bedroom
Store
Staircase
1 W.C.

Laundry
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
Receiving Room
Head Laundress
Distributing Room
Entrance
General Washhouse
Clothes Horses
General Laundry
Foul Washhouse
Foul Receiving Room

First Floor
Blanket Room

Nursery
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
1 10 Bed Dormitory
1 12 Bed Dormitory
W.C. and S.S.
Bathroom
Attendants
Lavatory
Covered Way
Linen
Staircase

First Floor
1 10 Bed Dormitory
1 12 Bed Dormitory
W.C. and S.S.
Bathroom
Attendants
Lavatory
Spare Room
Linen
Staircase

Workhouse Block for 107 Females
Ground, First and Second Floor

Ground Floor
Staircase
3 Day Rooms
1 Day Room
Lavatory
Clothes and Linen
Corridor
Covered Way
Officer
15 Bed Dormitory
W.C. and S.S.

First and Second Floor
2 Staircases
2 26 Bed Dormitories
2 Bathrooms
2 Clothes and Linen
2 Corridors
2 Bedrooms
2 Officers
2 W.C. and S.S.
2 20 Bed Dormitories

Workhouse Administrative Female Side Kitchen etc
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
Corridors
Matrons Office
Waiting Room
Sewing Room
Washup
Female Messroom
Half of Dining Hall
W.C. and Lav
Bread Store
Kitchen Corridor
Meat
Vegetable Store
Vegetable Scullery
Half of large Kitchen
Half of Large Scullery

First Floor
6 Bedrooms
Bathroom
W.C.
Corridors

Basement
Basement Stores
Boxroom

Workhouse Administrative Male Side Kitchen etc
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
Corridors
Masters Office
Waiting Room
Cooks Room
Scullery
Male Messroom
Half of Dining Hall
W.C. and Lav
Washup
Servery
Bread Cutting
Flour
Kitchen Corridor
Larder
Half of Large Kitchen
Half of Large Scullery
Coal
Pantry
Large Stores
Steward

First Floor
6 Bedrooms
Bathroom
W.C.
Corridors
Boxroom

Workhouse Administrative Master's Quarters
Basement, Ground, First and Second Floors

Basement
Stairs
2 Cellars

Ground Floor
Committee Room
W.C.
Lavatory
Chaplains Room
General Office
Corridors
Vestibule
Entrance
Sitting Room
Dining Room
Kitchen
Scullery
Masters Hall

First and Second Floor
5 Bedrooms
2 Bedrooms
Boxroom
2 Bathrooms
2 W.C.
Corridors and Stairs
Attics and Stairs
Store and Tank Rooms
Clock Faces

Engine and Boiler House
Basement and Ground Floor

Engine House
Boiler House
Pump Room

Mortuary
Ground Floor

Viewing Room
Mortuary
Post Mortem Room
W.C. and Lav

Workhouse Block for 57 Males
Ground, First and Second Floor

Ground Floor
W.C. and S.S.
17 Bed Dormitory
2 Dayrooms
Officer
Lavatory
Corridors
Covered Way
Clothes and Linen

First and Second Floor
2 20 Bed Dormitories
2 Officer
2 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
2 Clothes and Linen
2 W.C. and S.S.
2 Corridors

Workhouse Block for 97 Males
Ground, First and Second Floor

Ground Floor
Staircase
4 Dayrooms
Clothes and Linen
Officer
Covered Way
Corridors
Entrance
Lavatory
17 Bed Dormitory
W.C. and S.S.

First and Second Floor
2 Staircases
4 20 Bed Dormitory
2 Officers
2 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
2 Clothes and Linen
2 W.C. and Lav.
2 Corridors

Workshops and Stables
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
Oakum Pickers
Tinker
Blacksmith
Carpenter
Tailor
Shoemaker
Matmaker
Woodchoppers
Spare Shed
Harness Room
Stable
Cart Shed

First Floor
Loft

Probationary Block
Ground and First Floor

Ground Floor
Dayroom No. 1
Dayroom No. 2
Sitting Room
Kitchen
Scullery
Pantry
Hall
Entrance
Passage

First Floor
1 8 Bed Dormitory
1 7 bed dormitory
1 3 bed dormitory
Matron
Staircase
W.C.
Linen
Bathroom

Board Room

Ground Floor
Hall
Office
Passage
W.C.
Lavatory
Relief Room
Waiting Room
Board Room
Private Room
W.C.
Passage

Vagrant and Receiving Ward
Basement, Ground and First Floor

Basement
Mens Wash house
Womens Wash house
Corridors
Disinfection

Ground Floor
17 Mens cells
Corridors
Mens Dayrooms
4 Entrances
Attendants
5 Bathrooms
Scullery
Pantry
Womens Dayroom
Store
2 Womens cells
2 5 Bed Wards
2 Day rooms
2 Attendants
Examination Room
2 W.C. and Lav.

First Floor
8 Mens cells
Corridors
8 Womens cells
3 W.C.
2 Stores
Associated Ward
2 Bed Room
Sitting Room
Bath and Lav.
Clothes Stores

Entrance Gateposts

The Board of Guardians met alternate Fridays at the Workhouse 10am to discuss any matters required.

ref: 1170070.jpg
Stourbridge Workhouse Board Room
© Rossbret 2004

During 1921 the Chairman of the Guardians was H.J. Cox (Justice of the Peace) from Cradley and the Clerk to the Guardians was George Francis James.

Children were taken to the Stourbridge Union Cottage Homes located in Norton, Stourbridge. William Newnam being Superintendant in 1921.

The term "Workhouse" officially came to an end in 1930, but the building remained as the Stourbridge Public Assistance Institution later developing into Wordsley Hospital.

The buildings were utilised as a Military Hospital during the war, when temporary wards were erected.

The Hospital continues, although is presently under threat of closure.

Main entrance block of Stourbridge Union Workhouse
Ref: 1170030
© Rossbret 2004

Link to Rossbret Photographs of Stourbridge Union Workhouse

The House Committee Minute Book
show the hardships that people faced and how the Workhouse was run.

19th October 1894
Minutes of the House Committee held this day at the Workhouse
Present: Messrs A. N. Northington
                          F. L. Haskew
                          Joseph Hagley
                          Reuben Grant
Mr. Northington was appointed to the Chair.

The Committee went through the applications for the office of Nurse of which there were eight ~ the names of the applicants being as follows:
Ada Ross aged 30 ~ Harlow
H. Jones aged 24 ~ Brentwood
Louisa Lyon aged 36 ~ Greenwich
E. Nalson aged 37 ~ Boden
M. N. Bennion aged 46 ~ Blackpool
A. Littler aged 25 ~ Birmingham
E. A. Hickson aged 31 ~ Stourbridge
Crossland aged 40 ~ Huddersfield

The Committee selected the names of Ross, Dalson, Bennion, Littler and Hickson and instructed the Clerk to request their attendance before the Board on Friday at the next Board Meeting.

25th February 1898
"An application was made by Mrs Mary Ann Powell of Wordsley to place her Grandchild named Richard Sheriff aged 4½ years into the Workhouse. The Mother of the Child was dead, the Father had deserted the Child. The Committee had the Woman before them and made full enquiry into her circumstances and they recommend to the Board that the Child be not placed in the Workhouse, but that the GrandMother be allowed the sum of two shillings per week towards his maintenance".

25th February 1898
"The Master laid before the Committee draft rules for the Nurses engaged in the Workhouse which had been passed and approved by the Medical Officer.
The Committee recommend that the orders be printed".

Friday 3rd October 1902
"It is recommended that the sons of William Brettell be summoned to contribute to his support".

Friday 14th November 1902
"Walter Wilson came before your Committee. He had brought his Wife to the House for her confinement - he is young and able-bodied and it is recommended that he be kept to Stone Breaking for so long he and his Wife remain chargeable".

Link to Richard Griffiths' site, including searchable 1861 census for Stourbridge Union Workhouse.
http://griffs.treehouse.tripod.com/

Wordsley Hospital was closed on 7th January 2005 and the land is due to be sold and redeveloped.

Page updated August 06, 2007