Peebles Combination Poorhouse and its people.

1. Summary

This paper takes a brief look at the history of Peeblesshire workhouse, its internal and external appearance and some of the people involved in it. This includes Its architect, its manager and his family, and its inmates. It touches on other contemporary institutions and prompts reflections about how the state deals with people needing help.

The paper is based on a visit to the heritage hub in Hawick. At Hawick I examined the original records of about 280 inmates and looked at the census records for 1861 and 1881. I have copies to show you later. I didn’t look at the children’s register or the minutes, which were unavailable at the time of my visit. I also consulted a number of reputable Internet sites, referenced below.

2. How long did it operate?

The Peebles Combination was formed in around 1856. It comprised the parishes of: Drumelzier, Eddlestone, Kirkurd, West Linton, Lyne and Meggat, Manor, Newlands, Peebles, Skirling, Stobo, and Tweedsmuir. Also Biggar, Inverleithen, Penicuik, and Traquair. The building itself was erected in 1857-8 on Rosetta Road, where the council offices now stand.

During the First World War, the poorhouse was placed at the disposal of the military authorities. In 1919, due to the small numbers using it, the Peebles Combination ended.

In 1921, the poorhouse site, in Rosetta road, was sold to the Peeblesshire County Education Authority. It was demolished in the early 1930s and replaced by the council offices we see today. Very little remains of the poorhouse building, and none of it visible from outside.

3, A contemporaneous view of the poorhousei

So what did they say about the poorhouse when it was first built? On October 20th, 1858, the Peebles County Newspaper and General Advertiser carried a lengthy report about the new poorhouse. Here are a few extracts.

3.1 First, the building and its location: “The Union House is... decidedly the best that we have ever seen. We have visited three of these houses in Scotland, and some six or seven in England, but this one is infinitely superior to them all. Unlike the red, glaring, brick buildings in the south, which present a heavy, dull aspect to the eye, the Union at Peebles is a sound, substantial, and ornamented building, beautifully situated in the valley of Eddleston Water, and is decidedly more an ornament to the locality than otherwise. It has a fine and imposing effect when viewed from the railway or from the road to Edinburgh.

It is situated about half a mile north of Peebles, on the road leading to Rosetta — immediately between that road on the west, and the Peebles and Edinburgh Railway on the east. The ground, consisting of two acres, is almost a square, and is enclosed with a stone-and-lime wall seven and a half feet high, coped with dressed freestone. The front is relieved by a cast iron railing. The elevation looks towards the east, has a belfry and two wings.

It is built with dressed whinstone rubble, pointed with blue coloured lime, relieved with white freestone dressings to the windows and doors, chimney heads, gables etc. High pointed gables terminate the roofs.

It has nothing of that bastile or prison-like aspect which so frequently characterises such buildings.”

I think it is safe to say that they were well taken with it!

3.2 What about the inside?

Well… “the internal accommodation is as commodious and comfortable as the external appearance is pleasing and imposing. We went over the whole premises and inspected them narrowly and minutely. The arrangements appear to be comprehensive and complete.

The house is for the accommodation of ninety inmates; The plan of the building is of a square form, and consists of a centre, with two side wings extending from front to back, and slightly projecting in front.

The centre may be said to be three rooms in depth, from front to back — those in front being the office departments, consisting of a committee room, governor's office, parlour, bed-rooms, etc.

Behind these, and occupying the centre of the building, is a general dining-hall for the inmates. Behind this the school- rooms for the children, and the stairs leading to the dormitories.

The entrance to the house is in the centre of the east front, being a spacious vestibule leading directly to the general dining-hall, from which all the other parts of the house are accessible,

The side wings are appropriated to the accommodation of males and females respectively,

The kitchen, day-rooms, the school-rooms and the two staircases open into the general dining-hall, which is fitted up with tables and seats, and a pulpit -all arranged so as to be suitable for the purpose of divine worship.

Each day-room and school-room has a lavatory adjoining it, filled up with washing basins, water, boiler, towels, etc

There are two stairs, one for each sex, leading to the upper floor, which is entirely appropriated as dormitories for the inmates , there being no communication between the one side and the other on this floor.

Each sex is divided into three classes, having each a separate dormitory — • the aged and infirm, for whom the Poorhouse may be considered in the light of an hospital or almshouse; • younger adults, • and for children. “

We’ll see some examples of each of these categories of inmate later.

3.3 And Outside?

“There are four spacious yards, which extend along two sides and the back of the building — one for each sex of adults, one for boys, and one for girls. In each of these are suitable conveniences and in those for women and men are the washing house, laundry, and workhouses.

Outside and beyond the yards, on each side, is a space of about thirty feet wide; and behind, a large garden, enclosed with a substantial stone wall. And in front, there is a considerable space of dressed flower garden ground.

3.4 The cost?

“We are much inclined to think, that it cannot be under £3,000, when all the furnishings and extras are included.”

3.5 Overall Impression?

“The two things that struck us most forcibly were the comfortable accommodation provided for the inmates, and the abundance of pure air in all the rooms.

As for the dormitories, with their high ceilings and ample space, we unhesitatingly say, that there is not a finer view from any bedroom in Peebles. The eye rests on green fields, distant hills, and shady woods; and we all know what effect these have on the health and spirits.”

4. People of the poorhouse

4.1 The Architectii In 1845 The Scottish Poor Law Amendment Act (The “Amendment and better Administration of the Laws Relating to the relief of the Poor in Scotland”) created a central board of supervisors based in Edinburgh, which oversaw a national programme of Poorhouse construction. Over 70 poorhouses are eventually constructed in Scotland.

There is a little uncertainty about who did design the Peebles poorhouse. There are two architects called William Moffatt. Both design poorhouses in England and Scotland. Neither have the initials WS which the article in the Peeblesshire newspaper reports. Here’s a little about each.

William Bonython Moffatt (1812-1887) and his senior partner George Gilbert Scott, designed over 40 workhouses across the UK, using a similar pattern. The two became partners in 1838. Their partnership ended in 1845, seemingly “largely due to pressure from Scott's wife who found Moffatt tactless and extravagant”.

“Scott went on to have a prolific and varied career with his designs including the the Midland Hotel at St Pancras railway station, and the Albert Memorial. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1872 and buried in Westminster Abbey.” Bit of a paragon!

WB Moffats path was somewhat more prosaic than Scotts’. In 1860, some two years after the Peebles poorhouse was finished, Moffat was imprisoned for six months over a debt of £1,000. An employee wrote of him that "he was an ugly man with hair all over his head" and that there was frequently chaos and a failure to pay his staff and others.

It is much more likely, however, that William Lambie Moffattiii (1807-1882) designed Peebles poorhouse. From 1836 he built a reputation as a designer of workhouses after a successful commission in Selby, Yorkshire. In 1855 he was back in Edinburgh specializing in poorhouses, hospitals and asylums.

4.2 Management

At national level there was a Poor Law Commissioners/Board (1834-71); Local Govt Board (1871-1919). Their role was to put Parliamentary Acts into operation; formulate regulations and procedures; collect statistics; produce reports for Parliament.

At Union level roles included • a Board of Guardians oversaw the operation and business of the Union. • A clerk would submit reports and accounts to Commissioners etc. • A treasurer to handle all financial transactions; produce accounts and have them audited, and • The Relieving Officer who evaluated the cases of all persons applying for medical or poor relief; to authorize emergency relief or entry to the poorhouse.

In the poorhouse itself, the governor and his matron reigned supreme.

4.3 The Governor and his family

Workhouse.org.uk points out that Poorhouse governors often stayed in post for long periods. My research shows that Jonas Mitchell and his wife Christina are no exception. They are governor and matron of the poorhouse in both the 1881 and 1861 census returns. We can assume, I think, that they were in charge from the opening of the institution in 1857/8.

The couple were married in Nottingham in 1846iv. The family name Mitchell is most predominant in the Bradford/Halifax area at that time, and it is tempting to hypothesise a connection between Moffatt the architect and Mitchell, as LM Moffatt had work in that area and had an office in Doncaster.

The family itself was cosmopolitan. The 1861 census shows their children born in Wales, Ireland and Scotland, with Jonas himself being English born and married to the Scottish Christina. In 1861 Jonas was 42 years old, and Christina 48.

In the 1881 census the Mitchells have two adult sons at home, both Peebles born, one a general clerk and the other, Jonas junior, an apprentice grocer. They also have a daughter, Mary Mitchell, 25 years old and unmarried. And a granddaughter, two years old, also called Mary Mitchell. Could they be mother and daughter,,,,,,? Could the governor of Peebles Poorhouse have an illegitimate granddaughter?

So what were the Governor’s duties?

A workhouse Master had to be at least 21 years old, able to keep accounts, and "a person of sufficient education, strength of will, and firmness of purpose, whilst he is considerate and gentle in his bearing, without servility or disrespect to the guardians and the higher officers, and without intolerance or laxity to the other officers or inmates." He was also to "have due control over himself, and never exhibit or allow others to exhibit, violence of temper, or use profane or irritating language."

The Master's duties were closely described and included:

• To admit paupers • To ensure new male inmates are searched, cleansed, clothed and classified. • To enforce industry, order, punctuality and cleanliness. • To read prayers to the paupers before breakfast and after supper each day. • To hold a daily roll-call and inspection of inmates. • To provide work, training or occupation for the inmates. • To inspect the male sleeping wards at 11am daily. • To say grace before and after meals. • To visit the male sleeping wards before 9pm in winter and 10pm in summer to see that all male paupers are in bed, and all fires and lights not necessary for the sick are extinguished. • To receive the workhouse keys from the Porter at 9pm and return them to him at 6am. • To see that the male paupers are properly clothed, and that their clothes are kept in proper repair. • To register all Births and Deaths in the workhouse.

Matron undertook similar duties for the female inmates.

5. The Inmates: analysis of two census returns

The information for this section comes from my analysis of two census returns - 1861 and 1881.

5.1 Overview

In 1861: • There were 18 inmates • The age range was 2years old to 81 years old • There were 12 females and 6 males • 9 inmates were over 60 years old. (aged and infirm) . The 5 females were unmarried, the 4 men were widowers. • Three inmates were “younger adults” • Six inmates were children.

By 1881 the number of residents had risen to 21, with a similar age range, and an increase in male inmates. “Younger adults” totaled 9 – 7 female and 2 male. There were two young children. As before , half the inmates were over 60 years old, 6 male, 4 female, either widowed or unmarried.

The newspaper report talks of a workhouse able to accommodate 90 people – further research would be needed to ascertain whether it ever reached capacity. However, given the numbers in the census, and the meticulous workhouse records showing 280 individuals over its whole existence, it seems unlikely to have been full at any time.

5.2 Nationality

In both census returns, almost all inmates are Scottish, and most from the local combination area. The furthest Scot was a 38 year old woman from Shetland: her husband is not an inmate. The exception was 1 English born inmate in each census, both over 65. Also two Irish women in 1881, none in 1861.

Given our distance from the West coast ports, I was surprised to find that the censuses of 1841 to 1881 show many Irish- born people living in Peebles.

In 1851 the Irish population of Scotland was 7.2%. Almost a third of Irish immigrants settled in Glasgow. The Great Famine had caused emigration to Scotland from Ireland to be common. Tickets aboard ships were cheap and many came to work temporarily around harvest time when there was work available in the fields.

Many also found their way into the less skilled jobs of handloom weaving and other textile work. Irish women, for instance, made up 44.3 per cent of female textile workers in Greenock in 1851. Perhaps our two Irish inmates of the poorhouse, 32 year old Janet Dunbar, or 19 year old Margaret Harrigan v made their way here because of agriculture and weaving? Or perhaps they had connections with the construction of the railways?

5.3 The Children

In 1881 we have two young children – two year old John Dunbar, born in Peebles to a 32 year old Irish widow. William Harrigan, the three month old son of unmarried Margaret also has an Irish mother and was also born here in Peebles.

The 1861 census return shows six children, none of whom share a surname with any adult inmates. We can assume that they were there without parents or other responsible adults.

Four of the children share a common surname, Horsburgh, the name of the ruined castle near Cardrona. They seem to be two sets of twins, aged seven and two, all girls. More of two of these children in a moment.

6. Extracts from the Register of the poor 1854 - 1931 (Poor House Records)

Parochial boards were required to keep a pauper roll which includes name, age, country and place of birth, marital and religious status and details of spouse and children. Annex 1 provides details of some of Peebles inmates.

7. Conclusion

It is not surprising that these glimpses into the lives of the inmates of the Peebles workhouse should reveal hard lives, tragic circumstances, difficult struggles. But there was more human drama than I expected. These are people faced with disability, brutality, violence, desertion, dislocation and more.

Others around this table will know more than I do about the general prevailing conditions and mood between 1850 and 1900. It is my impression that Society at that time seems to have been becoming more institutionalized.

Five of the six institutions described in this paper were set up during that time – the sixth was greatly extended.There is a sense of optimism and hope about these institutions. Witness the description of the Peebles poorhouse, or the speeches on the opening of the Dalry reformatory, printed verbatim in The Scotsman and reproduced in its entirety by its Australian counterpart, who clearly had a great interest in young criminals!

Its easy to forget that an asylum is a place of refuge, and a reformatory is about changing the individual, not punishing them. These are positive, hopeful words.

Our grandparents and great grandparents struggled with the issues that still preoccupy us today, politically and socially, about poverty, inclusion, equality.We no longer remove people from the community into institutions except as a last resort. Their solutions are not our solutions. But you have to respect them for trying,

Sources: i http://www.workhouses.org.uk/buildings/Scott.shtml ii http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Peebles/ iii http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/architectsactive.pdf iv http://www.FreeBMD.org.uk v www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/makingindustrialurban/irishimmigr ation/