Maggie - The cactus that flowered: Vol.1. Chapter 7

On the 23^rd November 1874, 17 year old Fat Granny, Louisa Ward, gave birth to an illegitimate son, Thomas Edward Ward, in the Vinegar Yard Workhouse. The birth was registered by James Rankley, the Workhouse Master. The name of the father was left blank. It was till blank 21 years later when Thomas married Skinny Granny.

Louisa had been working as a servant when she fell pregnant. It was common Victorian Times for a domestic servant to become pregnant as a result of seduction by her employer. If the seducer had been working class the couple would have been pressurised into marrying so that the mother and child would not be a burden on the Parish. The lack of a father on the birth certificate suggest that the father was not free to marry.

The Workhouse was situated on the Bedford estate in a confined district between Drury-lane and Endell-street. Now in the middle of London’s West End and Theatre Land.

The Work house was built for 850 paupers; in times of pressure the number reaches over 900.

A report from the time states: “The space allotted to each patient is in our opinion far too limited, and especially so in No. 4 male ward. During our visit in June last there were 64 cases in these wards; and even with this limited number there was a condition of atmosphere far from sweet, due in part to defective ventilation and the absence of pure light, and also probably to other sources of neglect. Still, it is possible to make this infirmary adapted to hospital purposes. So much, however, would have to be done — so many alterations and removals of surrounding buildings — the additions of new closets, baths, and lavatories-better approaches to existing stairs-special kitchens and nurses' rooms, — in a word, so much change is needed, that in our opinion it would be more economical to condemn the infirmary along with the defective and ill-contrived house. With regard to ventilation in all these wards, we have never seen worse; practically, it is nullified by the gratings opening into the chimneys and the rafter chambers amid-rooms, instead of directly communicating with the outer air.

The furniture of the wards, including bedsteads, beds, and bedding, was found very faulty. The iron bedsteads, as a rule, were short of six feet, and were not more than two feet five inches in width. In many cases the sacking was in rags, loose, and dirty, the beds of flock, with dirty ticks, in some cases extremely dirty, and the flock escaping on the sacking ; the blankets and sheets also were dirty and ragged. The sheets we were told were changed when required, and always once a fortnight — statements we could hardly credit when looking at the articles themselves. The arrangements for washing the patients indicated the same laxity ; the ward towels were small, dirty, and ragged, and yet we were told that there were plenty in stock, and only required to be sent for, which indeed proved to be true on our asking to see them.

Disorder and neglect appeared to be in authority as a direct consequence of the so-called system of nursing which obtains here, directed by an aged female, 63 years old, with a salary of 20l. per annum. Under her supervision there are fourteen pauper assistants or helpers, with two night-nurses, selected from those who perform the day-nursing, none of whom receive remuneration for their labours. Well may the Poor-law Inspector remark — "It has always seemed to me desirable that the directors should encourage the nurses with some pecuniary allowances and rewards." Let us hope that before long the whole subject of nursing will be carefully reconsidered, and so arranged that the poor will be tended in their hour of trial, and that the medical officers will have helpers rather than obstructors in their efforts to relieve and cure the sick.

Leaving the infirmary, we next entered the infirm wards, situated on the north, and which were devoted to the sick previously to the erection of the present hospital. Here we found about 100 aged persons occupying very defectively arranged wards, wanting both in light and ventilation. The beds and bedding were in keeping with what we have described as existing in the infirmary — many worn out, and many more dirty. Doubtless much of the dirt had arisen from the habit of conveying the coals into the basement wards, and shunting them into cellars through openings made in the floor. This habit of "coaling for the house" not merely brings a large amount of dust into these wards, but also produces a strong and disagreeable smell in them, and which, combined with other obnoxious vapours incident to the bed-ridden, unless great care is taken to keep them clean, produces an atmosphere really injurious to the occupants. The upper wards are in the roof, which we found oppressively hot and badly ventilated. Defective space in all these wards is too self-evident, and must tend to continue invalidism, which better accommodation would help to cure.

The most objectionable wards in the house are, however, devoted to child-birth; they are in the roof, with low and slanting ceilings, defective light and ventilation, and will be commented on in our special report on this subject.”

And so, it was into to these objectionable conditions that my great grandfather was born.

Coming soon, Chapter 8 “Go as you please Street”