St Ives Workhouse 1851 Census
The 1851 census was taken on the evening of 30 March 1851. It was the first to record 'rank, profession or occupation'.
Details of workhouse staff were included in the census. William Biggs, master of the workhouse in 1841, had passed away, although his widow Susan was still matron. Three of her four children continued to live in the workhouse. Mary, aged 18yrs, was the schoolmistress.
The most surprising change was the enormous increase in inmates. In 1841 there were 83. Ten years later the total was 320. What caused a 400% increase?
Most noticeable was the large increase in unemployed. The 1841 census didn't record occupations, but we can make an estimate of the unemployed by assuming any adult male or single female and associated children were there through lack of a job. It wasn't by any means a major cause then, ranked fourth out of five causes.
In 1851 unemployment was by far the major cause of being in the workhouse, three times the number in the next category and 54% of all inmates. Why was that?
A clue appears when looking at occupations. Farm labourers accounted for almost half of adult inmates. It was a hard time if you worked on the land. Developments in agriculture meant farmers needed less labour. Once a farm labourer lost his job, the tied cottage went as well, dilapidated as it may have been.
Farmers hired labourers daily rather than permanently. In fact, that style of recruitment applied to other occupations in the workhouse. 'Journeyman' allied to a trade formed the second biggest group of inmates. These were self-employed master craftsmen employed daily.
The Irish Potato Famine from 1845 to 1852 was another cause of the 1851 unemployment crisis. One million people emigrated from Ireland, many to ports such as Liverpool, Cardiff and Glasgow. Most stayed near to where they landed, too destitute to venture further inland. But there is evidence some made it as far as St Ives. Four Workhouse inmates are described as 'Irish tramp'. No doubt more were working in and around St Ives. With an excess of labour, farmers could reduce wages.
The picture appeared no rosier for working women. Excluding those with no occupation recorded, effectively mothers and housewives, general servants were by far the biggest group of female inmates.
Another change between the two censuses was a big increase in the number of child inmates, 40% of the total. This reflects entire families finding themselves in the workhouse. There are many examples of husband, wife and four or more children all inmates, such as William Sutton, hawker of fish, his wife and six daughters aged between 13yrs and 1 month.
Abandoned children are the saddest entries, alone in the workhouse. The youngest was William Baldwin, aged 7yrs. John Tuff and Rebecca Hopkins, both aged 9yrs. There were also several groups of orphaned or abandoned siblings.
Finally, those where the occupation was described as 'idiotical'. William Aubrey, aged 26yrs, with his septuagenarian parents. James Hall, 14yrs, with his mother. No such luck for 21yr old William Thain, nor Thomas Brown aged 41yrs. Both were by themselves, probably fated to spend the rest of their lives in the workhouse.
To view the full list of occupations in the workhouse, click here. To view details of the 1851 census, click here.
Abandoned children are the saddest entries, alone in the workhouse. The youngest was William Baldwin, aged 7yrs. John Tuff and Rebecca Hopkins, both aged 9yrs. There were also several groups of orphaned or abandoned siblings.
Finally, those where the occupation was described as 'idiotical'. William Aubrey, aged 26yrs, with his septuagenarian parents. James Hall, 14yrs, with his mother. No such luck for 21yr old William Thain, nor Thomas Brown aged 41yrs. Both were by themselves, probably fated to spend the rest of their lives in the workhouse.
To view the full list of occupations in the workhouse, click here. To view details of the 1851 census, click here.
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