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Union Workhouse, Howden, East Yorkshire
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Union Workhouse, Howden, East Yorkshire
The Howden Union workhouse, erected in 1839 on Knedlington Road, Howden, East Yorkshire. A man, perhaps the master, stands on the doorstep while a workman stands on a ladder to clean windows. The site later became Howden Hospital
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Media ID 4419191
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10418728
1830s 1839 Clean Door Step Health Howden L Aw Ladder Master Poor Poverty Windows Workhouse Workhouses Workman 1927
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a moment in time at the Union Workhouse in Howden, East Yorkshire, in 1927. The imposing Victorian building, erected in 1839 on Knedlington Road, once served as a place of last resort for the destitute and the poor. In this image, a man, believed to be the master or overseer, stands on the doorstep, watchfully observing a workman as he climbs a ladder to clean the windows. The workhouse, which later became Howden Hospital, was a stark reminder of the harsh realities of poverty and the law during the Victorian era. The Union Workhouse system, established under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, aimed to provide a deterrent to able-bodied paupers, who were required to enter the workhouse in order to receive relief. Conditions within these institutions were often harsh and inhumane, with long hours of labor, meager rations, and strict discipline. As the 20th century approached, attitudes towards poverty and the provision of care began to shift. The workhouse system was gradually phased out, and institutions like Howden Hospital took on a more caring and therapeutic role. This photograph, taken in the 1920s, offers a glimpse into a bygone era, a time when the needs of the poor were viewed through a very different lens. The Union Workhouse in Howden stands as a testament to the complex history of poverty, housing, and care in East Yorkshire. Its imposing facade and intricate architectural details speak to a time when the line between care and punishment was blurred, and the needs of the most vulnerable members of society were met with a mixture of compassion and constraint.
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