Victorian Medicine

St. Marylebone Workhouse

workhouse; london; victorian; poor law; labor; poverty

The St. Marylebone workhouse was an institution that would provide support to the poor of London. It was also a place where poor pregnant, unmarried women could go for support, in fact in 1857, 76 percent of the workhouse births were unmarried women. However, in order to receive support, able-bodied women were forced to live and work in the workhouse and also would have faced harsh conditions. With St. Marylebone officers supporting premature weaning that would separate women from their children shortly after giving birth, so that they would go back to work.

unknown

circa. 1900

St. Marylebone Workhouse, London, Middlesex

Image

Wellcome Collection through JSTOR

Unknown

Public Domain

Image

Nixie Young