Beware, Ongoing work - This is First Draft Only and like to contain typographic errors
Section XI.
The Workhouse.
A FULL account is given in the books of the workhouse both as to its building and its management.
The first entry is in 1819, when it appears to have been a house rented of Mr. Charles Goodfellow at £25 a year.
In 1827 it is decided to build a house. The sum of £13 is paid to Bartholomew Laurence for one-ninth part of an acre in one of his fields near and upon the mill leat, for the term of 13 years or during the whole term he may be entitled to it, whereon to erect the proposed poor house: the land being doubtless held by him on lives from the Carclew estate.
The minister, churchwardens and overseers are empowered to borrow £200 for the said purpose, to be repaid in five years.
Septr. Resolved that a rate of is. in the £ be collected for the purpose of building the poor house.
The tender of Mr. Wm. Pearce of £109 15s. was accepted.
Oct. 4. It was found that no sum exceeding 1s. in the £ could be collected or applied during one year without the consent of a special vestry at which the major part of the ratepayers must assent. A special vestry is now held to grant such assent and a long list is given. It was then found the majority must be two-thirds, and the necessary signatures follow.
It was also discovered that the sum of 1s. in the £ must have been actually levied and applied to such purpose before any further sum could be raised by loan or otherwise, a then further sum of Ss. in the £ could be raised.
The ratepayers are again called upon to sanction the raising of a further sum by the two-third majority as before, and a sum of £200 is granted in the same way, but at the next meeting £100 only is asked for.
Mr. O'Brian is deputed to superintend the building for the sum of £6.
1828. 7th April. Resolved that 20s. a year be paid to Barthw. Laurence for 12ft. off from the poor house from top to bottom of the field.
May 28. A further sum of £50 and more if necessary granted, to be borrowed.
1830. It was unanimously deemed advisable that a trusty person be appointed to lock up the doors of the poor house at 9 o'clock at night and open the same at 5 o'clock in the morning in summer. And that iron bars be placed at the lower windows so as to prevent any person passing through them. In winter the house to be locked up at 8 and opened at 6 in the morning.
June 28th. A vestry meeting called to take into consideration the appointing a governor over the poor house and to enlarge the building, and a committee formed.
The committee recommend taking down some of the walls and making additional rooms over the upper passage, and to get estimates.
That particularly recommended is to take down that part of the wall from the upper beams to the roof, which would add four additional rooms. They consider the east and north ends as most eligible to add to, in consequence of the chimney places being there.
Dec. 17. Resolved that the poor house be extended at the S. end about twenty-three feet by thirty-six feet, and that Mr. Barbery be employed to draw plans of the same with the probable expense, the plan to embrace particularly two rooms for the governor and also a room capable of dining between 30 and 40.
Dec. 20. Plans and specifications of Mr. Barbery adopted, tenders to be invited, and £100 to be borrowed.
1833. Jan. 7. Tender of Thomas and Joseph Davey accepted for mason's work, £46 9s., and that of Geo. Sarvis for carpenter's work, £45.
April 17. Resolved to make a 1s. rate for the enlargement of the poor house, and the committee chosen, who may amend, alter or add, to the pro-posed new works.166 Notes on Mylor.
April 25th. A meeting to come to a final decision about the poor house.
It is agreed to take the field adjoining the poor house to rent of Barthw. Lawrence at £8 per annum, with leave to build on as much thereof as may be necessary. Agreed to build an addition to the poor house in accordance with plans and specifications; and tenders were accepted, viz., carpenter's work, £98 185. 10d., mason's work, £81 7s. I0d., and authority is again given to the parish officers and committee to alter and amend at their discretion.
1834. Feb. A special meeting to obtain the sanction of two-thirds (whether in vestry or not) to the borrowing of money above the 1s. rate to complete the work of poor house enlargement and furnishing, to which there is a long list of signatures. Also a list of articles required, amongst which, out of fourteen items, are
Numerous complications now occur with the tradesmen-frequent meetings are held and a valuer is engaged.
At a meeting it is decided to advertise for a governor, and on March 3rd there are four applicants-the duties defined are, to give constant attendance to the economy of the workhouse and to act as vestry clerk. To receive tenders from these the meeting was adjourned to
Mar. 1 0th, when Samuel Vicary was elected.
Mar. 31. Samuel Vicary's salary to be £28.
April 17. A meeting to add to the duties of the governor, when it was decided that he shall collect the rates of the Flushing district.
June 2nd. A meeting to obtain consent to borrow £150 on the rates, the 1s. rate having been expended, at which consent is given and the signatures of two-thirds in value obtained.
June 19. A meeting for appointing a committee to assist the parish officers in the management of the workhouse; about twelve are elected, any three of whom shall be empowered to act and to visit at any time.
July 8th. The committee appointed to draw up rules and to order the diet of the inmates of the workhouse resolve as follows
Respecting
the diet
Saturday. Broth and vegetables.
Sunday. Cold beef, 1/2 lb. to each man and potatoes.
Monday. Peas, 1 oz. of beef suet to each man.
Tuesday. Potato or turnip stew, with beef suet.
Wednesday. Fish or rice milk.
Thursday. Hock of beef soup.
Friday. Stew or peas.
Bread. 1 lb. a day to all above 10 years old. All who are able
shall attend the mess table at the regular meals.
Tea. 1 oz. a week to the sick and aged.
Sugar 1/4 lb. a week do.
Butter. 41b. a week do.
Snuff. 1 oz. to snuff takers.
Tobacco. 1/2 oz. to be allowed only to those who have been
accustomed.
On broth days extra bread.
No further entries relating to the poor house occur until January, 1845. In a churchwarden's vestry book commencing at that date is a notice of a meeting "to consider the propriety of disposing of a part of the present workhouse to Sir Charles Lemon." It was resolved "that the late addition to the workhouse being three stories high consisting of seven rooms, and forming the south-west front with the courtilege, and offices in the front thereof be offered to Sir Charles Lemon for the sum of £75, provided Sir C. L. will . . . make a new entrance to the first erected part through the room formerly used as a pantry and next a new stairs with other divisions or partitions, etc."
At another meeting in May it was found that the Poor Law Commissioners would not sanction the sale of part of the workhouse only. Sir Charles Lemon then offered the same amount for the surrender of the whole property, and would grant a new lease for the first erected part on the same lives and terms, and be at the expense of making such alterations for the convenience of the inmates as was before agreed upon; which offer was accepted.
April, 1846. A meeting to formally sanction the sale and an order made by the Poor Law Commissioners sanctioning the payment of £75 to Messrs. Tweedy and Co. in liquidation of a note of hand for that amount, being the debt in-curred in the erection of the workhouse.
There appears still to have been inmates in the workhouse in March, 1847, as amongst other items of business for which notice is given is "for the purpose of examining into the state of the workhouse and its inmates," but no resolution is passed.
In January, 1850, a meeting is called " for the purpose of taking into consideration the state of the workhouse and to make such arrangements for its future management as the parishioners may think proper," when it was resolved : " That it is expedient that the premises lately occupied by paupers of the parish of Mylor be sold for the benefit of the parish," and the churchwardens and overseers were authorised to advertise for tenders.
On 31st Jan. a meeting is held to consider tenders. Two were received, one of £21 and another of £55, both of which are rejected, and tenders are again invited and the meeting adjourned to the 14th February, when there being no other tender it was resolved to sell the premises to Sir Charles Lemon for £70. This is the last of the old workhouse.
The building then appears to have been converted into a school by Sir Charles Lemon, as in March, 1851 notice is given " that a vestry will be held in a room adjoining Sir Charles Lemon's School, which was formerly the Vestry Room." The same form of notice occurs for several years, and after that it is called "the vestry room."
Which is here mentioned as "Sir Charles Lemon's School," was carried on by him and entirely at his own expense until his death in 1868. Before that Sir Charles had executed a deed empowering his sisters to carry it on (his sisters pre-deceased him), but the late Col. Tremayne continued to do so for several years, although in no way bound, as the deed empowered him to hand it over to a committee of managers, which he did about the year 1894, in consequence of the heavy demands made upon him by the Board of Education. The deed specified that the teaching should be in accordance with the doctrines of the Church of England, and under the rules of the National Society, and that the vicar for the time being should have the chief supervision of that teaching. This mode of management continued until 1903, when the Act of 1 902 coming into operation, managers were elected in conformity with that Act.
The somewhat picturesque clock tower was also built by Sir Charles Lemon and handed over to the parishioners together with the school buildings.
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Last Updated 25 August 2004