Paupers Collection

The Hollies Childrens Home, Sidcup, Kent
Aerial view of The Hollies, the Greenwich & Deptford Unions cottage homes at Lamorbey, near Sidcup, Kent, opened in 1902 to house pauper children away from the workhouse

Market Hill and former workhouse, Maldon
A view of Market Hill, Maldon, Essex. The large building at the left is the Maldon Unions former workhouse. Date: circa 1900

Houseless and Hungry by Luke Fildes
A study entitled Houseless and Hungry by Luke Fildes depicting homeless paupers queuing outside the casual ward of a London workhouse. A policeman stands at the left of the scene

Walton Hospital, Liverpool
Walton Hospital, Rice Lane, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool. The central clock tower concealed a large water storage tank. The building was designed by William Culshaw

Congleton Union Workhouse, Arclid, Cheshire
Aerial view of Congleton Union workhouse at Arclid, Sandbach, Cheshire. The building, erected in 1844-5, was designed by Henry Bowman. It later became Arclid Hospital

Union Workhouse, Wokingham, Berkshire
The Wokingham Union workhouse, Berkshire. The workhouse, opened in 1850 on Barkham Road, Wokingham, later became Wokingham Hospital

Union Workhouse, Wantage, Oxfordshire
The Wantage Union workhouse, Oxfordshire. The workhouse, designed by Sampson Kempthorne, was erected in 1836 on Hungerford Road, Wantage, and later became the Downs Hospital

Poplar Workhouse, East London
A side view of one of the blocks of the Poplar Union workhouse, located on Poplar High Street, East London

Christmas Day in the Workhouse
Illustration and opening verses of In the Workhouse: Christmas Day - better known as Christmas Day in the Workhouse, written by George R Sims in 1877

East End Doss House, London
Exterior of a lodging house or doss house in the East End of London, probably Whitechapel. A man and a boy stand outside. A sign above the door reads BEDS 4d. Per Night FOR SINGLE MEN ONLY

Union Workhouse, Pontypool, Monmouthshire
Pontypool Union workhouse was built in 1837 on Coedygric Road, Griffithstown, Monmouthshire (now Gwent). It later became Panteg County Hospital

City of London Union Infirmary, Mile End Road
Situated where Mile End Road continues as Bow Road, the City of London Union Infirmary (now St Clements Hospital) opened in 1849 as the City of London Union workhouse

Union Workhouse, Dursley, Gloucestershire
A distant view of the Dursley Union workhouse (left) from the road at Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire. The workhouse, designed by a Mr Fulljames, was erected in 1838-9

Union Workhouse, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
The Newport Pagnell Union workhouse was erected in 1836 at the junction of London Road and North Crawley Road. It later became Renny Lodge Hospital

Training Ship Exmouth, dumb bell drill
Uniformed boys on the deck of the Training Ship Exmouth perform dumb bell drill. The Exmouth, moored off Grays in Essex, was used by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a naval training establishment

Union Workhouse, Birkenhead, Cheshire
Birkenhead Union workhouse viewed from Church Road, Higher Tranmere, Birkenhead, Cheshire. A group of children stand in the foreground, with the workhouse infirmary behind them

Training Ship Exmouth, full crew
Full group photo of the crew of the Training Ship Exmouth. The Exmouth, moored off Grays in Essex, was used by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a naval training establishment for pauper children

Manchester Union Schools, Swinton
The Manchester Union Industrial School at Swinton. The school, where 800 pauper children were housed and educated away from the workhouse, was established in 1843, one of the earliest of its type

Blandford Union Workhouse, Blandford Forum, Dorset
Distant view of Blandford Union workhouse, from Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum, Dorset. A house at the left has a sign reading YNCA (or YMCA?)

Union Workhouse, Thame, Oxfordshire
A view of the Thame Union workhouse from one of its internal yards with the workhouse chapel in the background. Posed for the photographer are what appear to be the workhouse master (standing)

Queen Marys visit to Poplar Schools at Brentwood
In 1906, the Poplar Union (East London) established a Schools site located between Shenfield and Hutton, near Brentwood, Essex

Union Workhouse, Leigh, Lancashire
Opened in 1851, the Union workhouse on Leigh Road, Leigh, Lancashire, later became Atherleigh Hospital. This early 1900s view focuses on the recently added workhouse offices and receiving home

Union workhouse, Market Harborough, Leicestershire
The Market Harborough Union workhouse. The inscription on the pediment reads HARBOROUGH UNION WORKHOUSE 1836. At the doorway stands a man and a woman, presumably the master and matron

Union Workhouse, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Bakewell Union workhouse. The porter and two other men stand at the entrance, while another stands at the left near a wheelbarrow

Wallingford Union Childrens Cottage Homes, Berkshire
The Wallingford Unions cottage homes on Wantage Road, Wallingford, Berkshire. Cottage homes were established by some poor law authorities to house pauper children away from the workhouse

Strand Union Workhouse, Edmonton, North London
The Strand Unions workhouse at Edmonton, North London, opened in 1870. The Strand Union was located in Central London

Poplar Union Schools, Brentwood, Essex
In 1906, the Poplar Union (East London) established a Schools site located between Shenfield and Hutton, near Brentwood, Essex

Union Workhouse, Hertford
A view of Hertford Union workhouse, Hertfordshire, opened in around 1869 on Ware Road, Hertford. The imposing three-storey building has a clock tower at its centre

Union Workhouse, Easthampstead, Berkshire
A distant view of the Easthampstead Union workhouse, Berkshire, opened in about 1836, in buildings adapted from former almshouses

Holborn Union Infirmary, Highgate, London
The Holborn Union Infirmary, Archway Road, Highate, North London. A tram passes by. The infirmary, which was opened in 1879, was designed by Henry Saxon Snell

Greenwich Union Cottage Homes, Sidcup, Kent
Aerial view of The Hollies, the Greenwich & Deptford Union cottage homes at Lamorbey, near Sidcup, Kent, opened in 1902 to house pauper children away from the workhouse

West Derby Union cottage homes, Fazakerley, Liverpool
Distant view of the West Derby Union cottage homes at Fazakerley, Liverpool. The homes were opened in 1889 to house pauper children away from the workhouse

Kensington & Chelsea District School, Boys Band
In 1876, the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea established a District School for pauper children at Banstead, Surrey (later known as Beechholme)

Statement of Poor Relief in St Lukes Parish, 1854
A printed summary statement of the poor relief statistics for the London parish of St Luke for the week ending 5 August 1854

City of London Union Infirmary, Mile End Road
Situated where Mile End Road continues as Bow Road, the City of London Union Infirmary (now St Clement's Hospital) opened in 1849 as the City of London Union workhouse

The Real Sufferers by the Money Pressure, a Sketch from Life in the Factory Districts (engraving)
1594550 The Real Sufferers by the Money Pressure, a Sketch from Life in the Factory Districts (engraving) by English School

Crippled beggar with child (engraving)
7239661 Crippled beggar with child (engraving) by Quast, Pieter Jansz (1605-47) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After a work from the 1630s by Pieter Jansz Quast.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Crippled beggar with child (engraving)
7239662 Crippled beggar with child (engraving) by Quast, Pieter Jansz (1605-47) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After a work from the 1630s by Pieter Jansz Quast.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Beggar with his begging bowl (engraving)
7239660 Beggar with his begging bowl (engraving) by Quast, Pieter Jansz (1605-47) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After a work from the 1630s by Pieter Jansz Quast.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Europes dregs entering the new world (litho)
6005048 Europes dregs entering the new world (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Europes dregs entering the new world)

Beggars receiving alms at the door of a house, 1648 (drypoint engraving)
FIT290435 Beggars receiving alms at the door of a house, 1648 (drypoint engraving) by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-69); 16.5x12.9 cm; Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge

Highfield Military Hospital, Liverpool
Nursing staff at the Highfield Infirmary for aged and infirm paupers in its First World War role as a Military Hospital. Date: circa 1916

Highfield Infirmary / Military Hospital, Liverpool
Nurses Home at the Highfield Infirmary for aged and infirm paupers in its First World War role as a Military Hospital. Date: circa 1916

I m hungry (colour litho)
668513 I m hungry (colour litho) by Dickes, William (fl.1843-81); Private Collection; (add.info.: I m hungry, and its very cold)

The Good King Was To Be Seen Giving Food And Drink to the Folk
STC292432 The Good King Was To Be Seen Giving Food And Drink to the Folk, illustration from The Story of France by Mary Macgregor, 1920 (colour litho) by Rainey

Rowton House on Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel
Exterior of the Rowton House from the south west on Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel. Rowton Houses, of which six were erected around London, were large, purpose-built

Wanted A father, A little boys plea, c. 1915 (engraving)
PNP252347 Wanted..A father, A little boys plea, c.1915 (engraving) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

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"Paupers: Forgotten Lives of Desperation and Hope" Step into the world of paupers, where destitution meets resilience. From The Hollies Children's Home in Sidcup, Kent to the haunting scenes of Christmas Day in the Workhouse, these places bear witness to the struggles faced by those on society's margins. Market Hill and former workhouse in Maldon stand as a testament to the harsh realities endured by paupers seeking refuge. Luke Fildes' poignant painting "Houseless and Hungry" captures their plight with heartbreaking clarity. In Congleton Union Workhouse, Arclid, Cheshire, lives were defined by hardship but also moments of camaraderie amidst adversity. The Union Workhouses in Wokingham, Berkshire and Wantage, Oxfordshire provided shelter for countless souls yearning for a glimmer of hope. The walls of Poplar Workhouse in East London echo with tales of survival against all odds. Meanwhile, the East End Doss House remains a symbol of both despair and fleeting solace for those without a roof over their heads. Journeying further across Britain reveals more stories etched within stone walls - from Pontypool's Union Workhouse in Monmouthshire to Dursley's Union Workhouse in Gloucestershire. Each place bears witness to humanity's struggle against poverty. Finally, we arrive at Newport Pagnell's Union Workhouse in Buckinghamshire - an emblematic reminder that even amidst scarcity there is strength found through unity. These pauper institutions may have faded into history but they serve as reminders that compassion can triumph over adversity. Let us remember these forgotten lives; let us strive for a future where no one goes unnoticed or uncared for – where every person finds dignity and opportunity regardless of circumstance.