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Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent, Female Inmates
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Union Workhouse, Tonbridge, Kent, Female Inmates
A row of female inmates seated by a window inside the Tonbridge Union workhouse. A uniform of long skirt, blouse, shawl and bonnet was the normal attire for elderly women in the workhouse. Some of the women have moved during the exposure of the photograph, slightly blurring the image in places. The workhouse buildings later became part of Pembury Hospital
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Media ID 4464437
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10415987
1897 Attire Bench Blouse Bonnet Elderly Inmates L Aw Legislation Pauper Paupers Pembury Poor Poverty Shawl Skirt Tonbridge Vagrant Vagrants Workhouse Workhouses
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a moment in time at the Union Workhouse in Tonbridge, Kent, England, in 1897. The image shows a row of elderly female inmates seated by a window, their uniform attire of long skirts, blouses, shawls, and bonnets a stark reminder of the poverty and hardship they endured. The women appear to be deep in thought or conversation, some moving slightly during the exposure, adding a sense of life and humanity to the scene. At the time, the Union Workhouse served as a last resort for those who had fallen on hard times and could no longer support themselves. The workhouse system, established by the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, aimed to provide a deterrent to poverty and vagrancy by offering only the bare necessities of life to its inmates. The workhouse buildings later became part of Pembury Hospital, and this photograph offers a rare glimpse into the lives of the women who once resided there. The uniform attire, with its long skirts and high collars, was a common sight in Victorian urban areas and served to distinguish the paupers from the rest of society. The image also highlights the age and vulnerability of the women, many of whom were likely widows or spinsters with no means of support. The benches by the window offer a brief respite from the harsh conditions inside the workhouse, and the sight of the women huddled together, seeking warmth and companionship, is a poignant reminder of the human cost of poverty and legislation.
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