Workhouse populations, 1851-1911

This dataset constitutes a sample of individuals resident in nineteenth and early twentieth century workhouses (residential institutions for the poor). These data were collected for preliminary investigations of the demographic characteristics of the workhouse-resident population between 1851 and 1911, as part of wider research by Samantha Williams on the workhouse. The sample represents between 45% and 78% of the entire England and Wales workhouse population reported for each decennial Census from 1851 to 1911 but not including 1871, and comprises complete enumerations of between 400 and 730 workhouses. Additionally there is a 10% subsample of workhouses present in every Census year. This dataset is derived from Schurer and Higgs' Integrated Census Microdata dataset held at the UK Data Archive, which comprises all persons enumerated in the England and Wales Censuses of 1851 through 1911, not including 1871, and may be linked to that resource.The workhouse was a central feature of the new poor law (1834-1948), intended to house, feed and occupy those unable to provide for themselves, in a controlled environment. Parishes were grouped into some 600 poor law unions. By 1841 around 320 new workhouses had been built, and by 1870 some 520, whilst other unions adapted existing workhouses. The purpose of this project was to build an evidential foundation for the first really comprehensive and systematic study of workhouse populations, providing a nationwide picture of the institutionalised poor from 1851 until 1911, using data extracted from the Integrated Census Microdata (I-CeM) digitised England and Wales decennial population census dataset, UKDA study number 7481. A subsample of workhouses that were successfully extracted from every available Census enables closer study of trends over time. This research forms part of a larger study on the workhouse being undertaken by Samantha Williams, including analysis of pauper offences and punishments in selected workhouses.