Blything at Bulcamp; 1836-c1920; cap: 560

Bosmere & Claydon at Barham; 1836-1907, cap: 500

Bury in Bury St Edmunds; 1826-1929; cap: 200

Cosford in Semer; 1835-1923; cap: 500

Hartismere at Eye 1834-1907; cap: 360

and Wortham; cap: 350

Hoxne in Stradbroke;1834-c1930; cap: 300

Ipswich in Whip Street; 1836-1899 cap: 400 then Heathfields: 1899-1930; cap: 400

Mildenhall in Mildenhall; 1834-1930; cap: 110

Mutford & Lothingland in Oulton [see notes]

Newmarket at Newmarket; 1835 - ? ; cap: 380

Plomesgate in Wickham Market; 1836-1936; cap: 370

Risbridge in Haverhill 1836-1856; cap: 280; and Keddington; 1856-

Samford in Tattingstone; c1836-1930; cap: 500

Stow in Onehouse; 1835- ~~~; cap: 350

Sudbury in Sudbury; 1836- ~~~’ cap: 350

Thetford in Thetford; 1836 - ~~~; cap: 300

Thingoe in Bury St Edmunds; 1836 - ~~~ cap:  300

Wangford in Shipmeadow; 1835-1911; cap: 450

Woodbridge at Nacton; 1836-1900> cap: 350

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Here are some thoughts and observations from two of Suffolk’s antiquarians regarding the incorporations of the second half of the 18^th century as told in correspondence between two eminent  men in 1763. source: S.R.O.I, S1/1/84.1; letters  Richd Canning to Rev Mr White of Stratford concerning Nacton Workhouse. 

Letters between two of Suffolk’s most noted antiquarians Rev R Canning 1708-1775 rector of Harkstead 1738-1769 & Freston 1755-1775, and Rev Stephen White rector of Stratford St Mary demonstrate the depth of feeling of the upper classes towards the welfare of the poor.  

Canning spoke of the advantages of the Nacton house of industry with respect to the rich. He clearly felt this was the most economically acceptable way to deal with the poor,  White on the other hand told of his concern at the rumours of hardship and bad management circulating in the community. He suggesting a letter placed in the Ipswich Journal informing the people of the inaccurate information being peddled in the community would be beneficial, Canning was of the opinion this was a waste of time. Instead he preferred to let time and experience educate the majority,  

In response to rumours White had been told of plagues of rats infesting the workhouse, Canning suggested the risk was far greater in the community than it was in the workhouse.  On the subject of bedding. Canning emphasised the recent use of ‘ticking’ (a closely woven cloth used to contain the bedding material) coupled with a better quality of sheets, blankets and coverlets now being used had improved things. Also straw had now replaced the coarser oat chaff as the stuffing of the mattresses.  However a little surprisingly Canning assured White that any inmate who wanted to bring in his or her own bedding was perfectly able to. Though presumably these would have been thoroughly washed (and disinfected??) to avoid bringing disease into the house.   

While White suggested the wearing of badges by the poor was not being adhered to as it should be, Canning dismissed the wearing of badges by the poor as a means of stigmatisation was being out dated, siting the fact that most poor tended to live separately from the better off thereby nullifying any stigmatisation between the two groups.  

Finally to emphasis his satisfaction with the way the Nacton house was run Canning suggested that members of the forthcoming incorporation of Samford would be well advised to follow the example (of Carlford and Colneis) incorporation, concluding ‘I can make myself answerable for the humane and benevolent treatment of the poor by our governor and his wife'.  

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FRESSINGFIELD PARISH WORKHOUSE

The parish workhouse at Fressingfield was situated in Low Road. The earliest reference discovered thus far for this workhouse is 1762. Found in the churchwardens and overseer’s accounts of 1741-1768. S.R.O.(I) EG16/G1/1.

An entry in the monthly account of churchwarden William Ray, for the four weeks ending 20 Feb 1762 reads ‘hop bagging & nails for the workhouse 11½d’.

It is thought this is a reference to someone (unnamed) supplying hops (in bags) for the production of beer in the house. In this period of time this was the main beverage available to those incarcerated. Water of a drinkable quality was still a long way off.

With no quantities given it is difficult to put a value on the 11½d, other than to compare it with other items such as the chaldron (4 quarters or 36 bushel) of coals supplied for the workhouse the following month, by Mr Eade which cost the princely sum of £1.10.00. 

The following is an abstraction of the entries for the following year 1763. It is possible there are other entries relating to the running of the workhouse, but not identified as such. The average monthly expenditure on parish relief was between £7-12-5¾d and £14-19-9½d  

EG16/G1/1 Fressingfield Churchwardens & Overseers Acc 1741-1768 plus list of apprentices 1755-1769

 Monthly account of Charles Brown ending 15 January 1763;

Taken from ‘extraordinary’ section of account

Expenses concerning the workhouse 2/6d pd for a pr of sheets for workhouse 11/6d

pd to Jno Watlings for trifles to the workhouse 5d pd to church for mending chairs at ye workhouse 2/-

pd Mr Seaman two weeks for the people in the workhouse £1.2.6d

pd for 3 quarts of beer for the men yt brought coals to the workhouse 9d

pd for pudding pokes for the men yt brought coals to the workhouse 8d

pd Mr Smiths reckoning when he came to cook at the workhouse 10d [possibly the workhouse cook] 

Monthly account Robert Seaman 4 weeks ending 12 February 1763;

to removing the people into the workhouse, a horse, cart and myself  3/-

pd John Watling for trifles in the workhouse 1/2d

pd for 3 vessels for the  workhouse and a pair of bellows 9/- 

Monthly account of Thomas Storer overseers for 4 weeks ending 12 March 1763

pd Mr John Seaman for 11 people in the workhouse @ 1/3d pr head pr week

pd John Watling for trifles to the workhouse 1/-

Monthly account of Samuel Burleigh overseer for 3 weeks ending 2 April 1763           

pd Mr John Seaman three weeks pay for 11 persons in the workhouse at 15d per head  

Monthly account of Robert Howlett week ending 30 Apr 1763;

pd Mr Ray for things into the workhouse as per bill 4/4d

pd Edmund Brown for jobs done at workhouse 1/10d

pd Mr John Seaman for 15 persons in ye workhouse the 1^st week; 14 ye 2^nd week and 13 ye two other weeks at 1/6 per head total £4.2.6d 

pd James Kemp for work done into ye workhouse 1/-d 

Monthly account of Val Clutten week ending 23 July 1763

pd James Kemp for work done into ye workhouse 6/-

pd Mr Seaman as appear by bill for things into the workhouse 4/11d

pd him [John Seaman] for 15 persons for 3 weeks in the house at 1/6d  £3/7/6

do for 17 for another week £1.5.6d

pd John Watling for trifles into ye workhouse 3 1/2d  

Monthly accounts of Robert Howlett churchwarden for 4 weeks ending 20 August 1763

pd Mr Ray a bill for goods in to the workhouse 10d

pd John Seaman for 13 persons in the workhouse at 1/6d per head  & 2 for firing @ 6d  £4.0.0. 

Monthly accounts of Henry Clutten 4 weeks ending 17 September 1763

pd to John Watling for trifles for the workhouse 1 5 1/2d

pd Mr Kays bill to the workhouse 4/10 1/2d

pd Mr Jno Seaman for 13 persons in the workhouse at 1/6d pr week and two for firing at 6d per week £4

pd for knitting and making in the workhouse 1/-

pd James Kemps bill work done in ye workhouse 3/2d 

Monthly accounts of William Cooper for 4 weeks ending 15 October 1763

pd John Seaman for 3 weeks 13 persons at 1/6d per week £2.18.6[next line] more for mills firing the month 1/6d

[next line] and for 12 persons in the workhouse the other week at do 18/- 

Monthly accounts of Mr Valentine Clutten week ending 12 November 1763

pd Henry Penn for 21 yds of shirt cloth for the people in the workhouse £1.1.0

pd James Kemp bill for mending for the workhouse 2/7d

pd for making of cloaths in the workhouse as app by bill 6/8d 3/4

pd Mr John Seaman for 17 persons in the workhouse at 1/6 per head £5.2.0

pd My Ray as appear by bill for goods into ye workhouse 19/5d  

Monthly accounts of Robert Howlett churchwarden week ending 10 December 1763

pd Mr Seaman for 16 persons in the workhouse a month and the boy Mills 3 weeks £5.0.6d

pd Mary Borrett for cloth, thread, yarn and other trifles into the workhouse as appears by bill 10/7d 1/2

pd Mr Ray as appear by bill for goods to ye workhouse £1.0.0  

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This abstraction demonstrates the range of costs incurred by the parish workhouse.

The payments made to the workhouse governors John Seaman, then William Borrett, increased from 1/3d to 1/6d per inmate. In some cases this would have been calculated to include their wages, ensuring a tight control on the parish purse.  

This rate was deemed sufficient to cover costs such as clothing and diet. In many cases the governor would insist on new inmates discarding their own clothing on arrival on hygiene grounds. These would have been recorded and set aside ready to be given back to the inmate on his or her release.

While this rate per inmate could be seen to lead to the inmates getting a raw deal, there were usually standards set within a governors contract to ensure at least a minimum of care.  The provision of clothing was often at least partly offset by the employment of the inmates to make them. The purchases of cloth, thread and yarn would have been for this usage.  An interesting entry is the provision of 3 quarts of beer for the men yt brought coals to the workhouse. This suggest the overseer recognising the particular effort of this supplier, while the cost of 9d suggesting 3d per quart.  

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