Workhouse Inmates
For many people the workhouse was the place of last resort. Reasons for going to the workhouse were chronic illness, disability, unemployment, pregnancy, debt and abandonment by parents or spouse. Whole families sometimes ended up in the workhouse, and some returned more than once.
As paupers arrived at the workhouse they were washed and their hair was cut short. All their belongings were taken away and they were given a workhouse uniform to wear. Families were separated, with men, women and children living in separate blocks.
This was probably not considered cruel, since it offered more privacy, and prevented abuses. All inmates had to do some kind of work.
Staff and Occupants of the Workhouse 1871
| STAFF | |||||
| John | GRAY | 38 | 1833 | Master | Norwich |
| Emily | GRAY | 48 | 1823 | Matron | Marham |
| Charles | LEARY | 28 | 1843 | Schoolmaster | Longham |
| Martha | BONE | 25 | 1846 | Schoolmistress | Kings Lynn |
| Alfred | HUBBARD | 34 | 1837 | Porter | Tilney All Saint |
| Mary Ann | HUBBARD | 33 | 1838 | Cook | Walpole St Peter |
| Ann | PARKER | 71 | 1800 | Nurse | Wighton |
| Laura | REED | 26 | 1845 | Servant | Norwich |
| RESIDENTS | |||||
| Margaret | GREEVES | 23 | 1848 | Fieldworker | Bale |
| Elizabeth | HAINES | 19 | 1852 | Domestic servant | Bale |
| Alfred | HAINES | 2 Months | 1871 | Tattingstone Suffolk | |
| Samuel | DOY | 65 | 1806 | Agricultural labourer | Thursford |
| George | WACEY | 68 | 1803 | Gardener | South Creake |
| Hannah | ARCHER | 15 | 1856 | Scholar | Fakenham |
| George | BICKS | 11 | 1860 | Scholar | Walsingham Union House |
| Louisa | DICKERSON | 4 | 1867 | Domestic servant | Binham |
| Sarah | SEELS | 27 | 1844 | Fieldworker | Binham |
| Elizabeth | SEELS | 1 | 1870 | Binham | |
| Charles | SEELS | 4 | 1867 | Binham | |
| Thomas | GREENACRE | 51 | 1820 | Agricultural labourer | Binham |
| Emma | LOXTON | 5 | 1866 | Scholar | Binham |
| Henry | DALTON | 51 | 1820 | Agricultural labourer | Binham |
| Howard | THOMPSON | 59 | 1812 | Mariner | Blakeney |
| Rebecca | DICKENS | 47 | 1824 | Dressmaker | Binham |
| Georgiana | DICKENS | 11 | 1860 | Scholar | Binham |
| Walter | DICKENS | 6 | 1865 | Scholar | Field Dalling |
| William | JOHNSON | 64 | 1807 | Fishermen | Blakeney |
| John | PARLETT | 14 | 1857 | Scholar | Salthouse |
| William | CLAXTON | 65 | 1806 | Mariner | Blakeney |
| Thomas | JOHNSON | 61 | 1810 | Mariner | Blakeney |
| James | JARY | 10 | 1861 | Cordwainer | Marston |
| Martha | DENT | 25 | 1846 | Field worker | Cley |
| Robert | DENT | 1 | 1870 | Blakeney | |
| Robert | THOMPSON | 58 | 1813 | Higgler | Blakeney |
| Lake | DYBALL | 74 | 1797 | Schoolmaster | Holt |
| John | WHITBY | 82 | 1789 | Agricultural labourer | Massingham |
| Paul | FARROW | 78 | 1793 | Carpenter | Wickmere |
| George | NEWTON | 12 | 1859 | Agricultural labourer | Fakenham |
| Thomas | BOULTER | 84 | 1787 | Labourer | Fakenham |
| Harriet | BELL | 21 | 1850 | Domestic servant | Fakenham |
| Robert | BELL | 3 | 1868 | Walsingham Unionhouse | |
| George | HILL | 13 | 1858 | Scholar | Walsingham Unionhouse |
| Samuel | HILL | 8 Months | 1870 | Walsingham Unionhouse | |
| Anna | FULLER | 20 | 1851 | Domestic servant | Walsingham Unionhouse |
| Adelaide | FULLER | 6 Months | 1870 | Walsingham Unionhouse | |
| Celia | FULLER | 33 | 1838 | Dressmaker | Fakenham |
| Mary Ann | FULLER | 14 | 1857 | Scholar | Hempton |
| Thomas | FULLER | 12 | 1859 | Scholar | Hempton |
| Sarah | FULLER | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Fakenham |
| John | FULLER | 5 | 1866 | Scholar | Hempton |
| James | FULLER | 4 | 1867 | Scholar | Hempton |
| Henry | FULLER | 3 | 1868 | Norwich | |
| Herbert | FULLER | 3 | 1868 | Norwich | |
| Agnes | FULLER | 3 Months | 1871 | Walsingham Unionhouse | |
| Curtis | READWIN | 63 | 1808 | Plasterer | Fakenham |
| Thomas | COLLS | 55 | 1816 | Baker | Fakenham |
| Samuel | PURDY | 56 | 1815 | Agricultural labourer | Gunthorpe |
| Matthew | CLARKE | 64 | 1807 | Agricultural labourer | Gunthorpe |
| William | RUSSELL | 63 | 1808 | Agricultural labourer | Hempton |
| George | OLLEY | 12 | 1859 | Scholar | Colkirk |
| John | OLLEY | 9 | 1862 | Scholar | Colkirk |
| Albert | OLLEY | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Colkirk |
| Emma | OLLEY | 6 | 1865 | Scholar | Hempton |
| Edward | OLLEY | 4 | 1867 | Scholar | Hempton |
| Deborah | ROWE | 48 | 1823 | Domestic servant | Hindringham |
| Alfred | ROWE | add | Scholar | Walsingham Unionhouse | |
| Edward | LAKE | 85 | 1786 | Agricultural labourer | Hindringham |
| Phoebe | LONG | 14 | 1857 | Scholar | Hindringham |
| Maria | ALLEN | 32 | 1839 | Fieldworker | Hindringham |
| Robert | ALLEN | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Walsingham Union House |
| Anna | ALLEN | 5 | 1866 | Scholar | Walsingham Union House |
| James | CORNINGTON | 20 | 1851 | Gardener | Holkham |
| Charlotte | STARLING | 32 | 1839 | Domestic servant | Holkham |
| William | TWIDDY | 62 | 1809 | Agricultural labourer | Wighton |
| Mary Ann | ALLEN | 30 | 1841 | Fieldworker | East Rudham |
| James | ALLEN | 4 | 1867 | Kettlestone | |
| Robert | ALLEN | 11 Months | 1870 | Walsingham Union House | |
| William | BONE | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Langham |
| John | WOODROW | 81 | 1790 | Cordwainer | Sandringham |
| James | MOY | 70 | 1801 | Agricultural labourer | Great Ryburgh |
| Henry | STEWARD | 70 | 1801 | Agricultural labourer | Great Ryburgh |
| Thomas | HARMAN | 71 | 1800 | Agricultural labourer | Great Ryburgh |
| Sarah | LEVERETT | 88 | 1783 | Domestic servant | Lessingham |
| Richard | FOX | 69 | 1802 | Agricultural labourer | Sculthorpe |
| John | RAWLING | 14 | 1857 | Scholar | Great Snoring |
| Henry | WARD | 46 | 1825 | Agricultural labourer | Great Snoring |
| Eliza | WHITE | 20 | 1851 | Domestic servant | Great Snoring |
| George | BELL | 34 | 1837 | Agricultural labourer | Fakenham |
| Hannah | HOWELL | 27 | 1844 | Domestic servant | Little Walsingham |
| Horace | HOWELL | 5 | 1866 | Scholar | Walsingham Union House |
| Florence | HOWELL | 1 | 1870 | Walsingham Union House | |
| Ann | HOWELL | 29 | 1842 | Domestic servant | Great Walsingham |
| Charlotte | HOWELL | 5 | 1866 | Scholar | Walsingham Union House |
| Lovina | HOWELL | 2 | 1869 | Walsingham Union House | |
| James | EGGLETON | 4 | 1867 | Walsingham Union House | |
| John | WALTER | 63 | 1808 | Agricultural labourer | Stibbard |
| Robert | PROUDFOOT | 74 | 1797 | Agricultural labourer | Stiffkey |
| Elizabeth | FARROW | 20 | 1851 | Domestic servant | North Walsham |
| Robert | FARROW | 1 | 1870 | Walsingham Union House | |
| Samuel | FARROW | 10 | 1861 | Scholar | Stiffkey |
| Mary Ann | LEE | 20 | 1851 | Domestic servant | Wells Next the Sea |
| William | LEE | 8 Months | 1870 | Norwich | |
| Amelia | UTTERIDGE | 15 | 1856 | Domestic servant | Walsingham Union House |
| Jemima | CUSHING | 20 | 1851 | Domestic servant | Thursford |
| Robert | HOWELL | 72 | 1799 | Agricultural labourer | Wighton |
| William | CUTTING | 67 | 1804 | Mariner | Dundee |
| Samuel | BROWN | 68 | 1803 | Taylor | Putney |
| William | BALLS | 60 | 1811 | Mariner | Wells Next the Sea |
| Thomas | BARNARD | 58 | 1813 | Mariner | Wells Next the Sea |
| Sarah | RINGWOOD | 22 | 1849 | No occupation | Wells Next the Sea |
| Elizabeth | GREEN | 32 | 1839 | Fieldworker | Warham All Saints |
| Susan | GREEN | 13 | 1858 | Scholar | Warham All Saints |
| Sarah | GREEN | 9 | 1862 | Scholar | Wells Next the Sea |
| Ernest | GREEN | 3 | 1868 | Wells Next the Sea | |
| Elizabeth | BRIGHTMER | 62 | 1809 | Hawker | Wells Next the Sea |
| Louisa | MAHOMATH | 9 | 1862 | Scholar | London Middlesex |
| Emma | MAHOMATH | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | London Middlesex |
| Elizabeth | ELSEY | 14 | 1857 | Scholar | Blakeney |
| Phillis | ELSEY | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Blakeney |
| Joseph | ELSEY | 6 | 1865 | Scholar | Wells Next the Sea |
| Elizabeth | LAKE | 44 | 1827 | Seamstress | Wells Next the Sea |
| William | LAKE | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Wells Next the Sea |
| Lydia | LARGE | 51 | 1820 | Domestic servant | Wighton |
| Thomas | OUTLAW | 34 | 1837 | Rope worker | Wells Next the Sea |
| Hannah | BUNTING | 28 | 1843 | Domestic servant | Wells Next the Sea |
| John | BRIGHTMER | 45 | 1826 | Painter | Wells Next the Sea |
| William | DOY | 42 | 1829 | Mariner | Barney |
| Matthew | WRIGHT | 77 | 1794 | Trinity pilot | Wells Next the Sea |
| Sarah | ARCHER | 28 | 1843 | Seamstress | Wells Next the Sea |
| Robert | ARCHER | 4 | 1867 | Wells Next the Sea | |
| Elizabeth | SPOONER | 19 | 1852 | Domestic servant | Wells Next the Sea |
| Gertrude | SPOONER | 1 | 1870 | Walsingham Union House | |
| Hudson | ALLISON | 67 | 1804 | Taylor | Walsingham Union House |
| Christiana | BUTLERS | 19 | 1852 | Fieldworker | Walsingham Union House |
| Thomas | BUTLERS | 11 Months | 1870 | Walsingham Union House | |
| Mary Ann | FARROW | 60 | 1811 | Domestic servant | Gunthorpe |
| James | EMPSON | 69 | 1802 | Fishermen | Wells Next the Sea |
| Martha | EMPSON | 40 | 1831 | Great Walsingham | |
| George | EMPSON | 8 | 1863 | Scholar | Wells Next the Sea |
| Mary | EMPSON | 6 | 1865 | Scholar | Wells Next the Sea |
| Elizabeth | EMPSON | 2 | 1869 | Walsingham Union House | |
| James | EMPSON | 8 Months | 1870 | Wells Next the Sea | |
| William | WILKIN | 69 | 1802 | Agricultural labourer | Little Walsingham |
| Susan | MOUNTAIN | 17 | 1854 | Domestic servant | Wiveton |
| Walter | MOUNTAIN | 9 | 1862 | Scholar | Wiveton |
| John | MIDDLETON | 20 | 1851 | Mariner | Stibbard |
