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The Workhouse evokes the grim Victorian world of Oliver Twist, but its story is a fascinating mix of social history, politics, economics and architecture. This site is dedicated to the workhouse — its buildings, inmates, staff and administrators, even its poetsIn 1708, Leicester tried, unsuccessfully, to promote a parliamentary act for establishing a town workhouse under the management of six Guardians drawn from the town's six main parishes. Similar attempts were made in 1792 and 1810 but neither succeeded. Instead, each parish resorted to setting its own establishments for the relief of the poor.

In 1714, St Margaret's erected several "parish houses" for accommodating the poor but not providing or requiring work. These were enlarged and converted to a workhouse in 1723.

In 1720, St Martin's parish built five houses on Millstone Lane. The SPCK's An Account of Several Work-houses... included the following report on the premises dated October 1724:

In April last, St. Martin's Parish determined to convert their Parish-Houses into a Workhouse, by joining two of the lower Apartments into one, for a Working-Room, and fitting up two others for a Kitchin, a Cellar, &c. and furnishing them. They first made Choice of a Master, who has the immediate Care of the Poor, to keep them in Order, and employ them in such Work as they are capable of, and see that their Food is duly prepared and given to them, &c. He has two Apartments assign'd to him, his Diet and Washing, and 12l. per Annum Salary. The Parish Overseers buy all things	for the House, and the Poor in it : For their Cloathing, they buy whole Pieces of Woollen and Linnen ; which, when cut out, is made up into Cloaths, by such of the Poor as are capable of it. The Overseers, about once in a Month, send in five Strike of Malt, which the Master brews at once into good Drink ; and every Saturday the Overseers buy for them a sufficient Quantity of good wholesome Meat, and send it to the Master. If any of the Poor fall sick, a proper Provision is made for them, and some of their Fellow-Poor are appointed to attend them. They are all confined within the Precincts of the House, and are not to go out of it without Leave of the Master; if any of them have Imployment abroad, they are obliged to return in a due Hour ; and whoever imploys them, agrees with the Master for the Wages, and pays them to him ; which, together with the Product of the Labours of the rest, he delivers to the Overseers every Friday in the Evening, who then take the Accounts from the Master; and add out of the Parish-stock, what is wanting for making Provision for the following Week. The general Method for employing them (besides what is abovementioned) is in spinning Jersey ; such as cannot spin, are set to knit Stockings for the rest, and one is appointed to teach the Children to read. The Time of working is twelve Hours in the Day, Winter and Summer. The Number of the Poor at present is 28, viz. 16 old, and 12 under 8 Years of Age. The Product of their Labours, one Week with another, is about 14 s. the Charge of maintaining them weekly is about 40 s. that is about 26 s. above their Labour. The Charge of maintaining the Poor us'd to be about 250 l. or 300 l. a Year. The Charge this Year in cloathing the Poor, upon placing them in the Workhouse, and buying Utensils, &c. is much greater than can be in future Years ; and yet the Overseer assures me, that he is confident the Parish will even this Year save 100 l.   The Children have a Form placed in the Alley, before the Seat of the Parish-Officers, to sit upon on Sundays ; but there is no particular Place as yet assign'd to the elder Poor at Church. The same report mentions plans for a workhouse to be set up in St Mary's parish.

In 1742, St Leonard's rented a building for use as a workhouse, and All Saints was operating from 1746. By 1776, Leicester's parish workhouses could together house 326 paupers. For the most part, the workhouses were all operated or "farmed" by private contractors. Eden, in his 1797 survey of the poor in England, reported that the poor of St Martin's:

are farmed by a man who receives from the parish £14 a week. There are 42 persons, principally old women and children, under his care. Some Out-Poor receive £4 us, a week. The farmer is a stocking manufacturer, and employs the Poor in spinning worsted, etc. They work in the summer from 6 in the morning till 8 at night, and in winter from 7 till 9, meal times excepted. The house is not well situated, nor aired in the best manner, but appears to be kept very clean. The beds are of flocks, and much infested with bugs. A woman teaches the children to read and spin. Table of diet: Breakfast Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, milk pottage or gruel ; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, broth and bread ; Saturday, milk pottage. Dinner-Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, broth, meat and vegetables ; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, cold meat, vegetables and beer ; Saturday, bread, cheese and beer. Supper—every day, bread, cheese and beer. About £16 in different donations are annually distributed among the Poor of this parish. There are in Leicester 5 hospitals, in which there are usually about 200 Poor. The war has had no other effect on the manufactures of this town than by taking off a great number of hands. Several soldiers' families of course became burdensome. The manufactures of Leicester are sent to different parts of the kingdom and to America. Every parish in the town supports its own Poor.