Chesterton Union Workhouse

Union Workhouse, Hospital, Chesterton

History of Union Workhouse, Chesterton

According to 1959 Royal Commission on Historical Monuments Survey of Cambridge the land for the workhouse was purchased in 1836 and built at a cost of £5,716 to a design by John Smith. At the time of the Royal Commission report significant parts of the main buildings survived and it is described as having a remarkable plan devised for the special purposes of the workhouse.

Chesterton House of Correction
The House of Correction at Chesterton formed part of Cambridgeshire’s system for dealing with both poverty and disorder. Unlike parish workhouses, its primary purpose was disciplinary, accommodating vagrants, petty offenders and those considered idle or disorderly. It reflects an age when poverty was often viewed not simply as a social problem but also as a matter requiring correction through work, confinement and moral reform. The institution demonstrates the close relationship between criminal justice and poor relief in early modern Cambridgeshire.

Source: Michael J. Murphy, Poverty in Cambridgeshire.

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In 1868 Edwin Bays (1843 – 1909) was the architect for the extensions to the workhouse.

See ‘In and Out of the Workhouse’ EARO 1978.

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Chesterton Workhouse and Union
21 June 1897
At the fortnightly meeting of the Chesterton Board of Guardians Mr Rutter said that the matron once complained of the waste of bread in the Workhouse. The inmates had too much bread, and it was thrown away. Mr Cock said he knew there was waste in some workhouses and vagrant paupers were fed with the waste food of the ordinary inmates. Mr Foster said that he had been round the house a great many times and had never discovered there was any great waste. Every pauper was allowed so much bread and they did not always eat it. Each one had a sort of little cupboard of their own, and so they had a little piece of lunch is they required it.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1897 06 21 c.

28 December 1898
Life in the workhouse is not so eventful that Yuletide festivities are looked forward to with anything but eager anticipation. It is the one important event of the year, bringing with it liberal fare, relaxation of the necessarily somewhat stringent rules, visits and gifts from kindly disposed persons, enjoyable entertainments, and a general air of geniality and heartiness which even those whose lot has been beset with many misfortunes can enter into. It may safely be said that in no union are more strenuous efforts made in this direction than at Chesterton where the capable Master gives the inmates a genuinely happy time

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1898 12 28.

9 June 1899
Chesterton board of guardians considered an offer from the Tramps’ Mission to provide a library at the union for the tramps to happen to be sojourning there, also to furnish wall cards bearing matter profitable for Weary Willie’s reading. The master of the workhouse viewed with very little favour these concessions to the literary tastes of those who make the Chesterton Union their hotel. In his opinion there is no matter more suitable for the tramps than the regulations which have been drawn to guide the conduct of those who resort to the workhouse for shelter. Give him text on the wall and he will have an excuse for taking his ease while he reads, or pretends to read them

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1899 06 09.

27 December 1907
Those unfortunate persons who are forced to accept the Workhouse as their home have little in the course of a year to look forward to, at any rate with pleasure. But at Chesterton Workhouse work is suspended on Christmas Day and they are allowed to spend as happy a time as possible. Gifts of tobacco, oranges and toys were distributed which helped to while away what would otherwise have been somewhat monotonous hours.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 07 12 27.

20 May 1910
Vagrants at Chesterton workhouse were kept for two nights, being given work according to their ability during the day and liberated at seven o’clock on the second morning. They had eight ounces of bread and water for breakfast and supper and eight ounces of bread and 1½ ounces of cheese for dinner. But is it fair to starve their poor wretches to this extent; not everyone is a rogue: many are just the failures of life and cannot help themselves, one Guardian said.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 10 05 20.

6 January 1911
Legislative changes have removed the pauper disqualification in connection with the Old Age Pensions Act. At Cambridge workhouse 22 men and 16 women were eligible for the pension but only three have declared their intention of leaving the House. All three are men between 70 and 75 years of age who are going to live with relatives. At Chesterton Workhouse 48 inmates are entitled to the pension but again only three are leaving, one being over 80. Another old man has not yet made up his mind. Perhaps the coming of more genial weather will bring him to a decision to accept his pension and forsake the shelter of the House.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 11 01 06f.

12 July 1912
Chesterton workhouse has been criticised by a lady inspector. The nursing staff was totally inadequate at the time of her visit with a solitary nurse on duty in the sick wards doing the work of three. Another complaint was that the young children were relegated to the care of incapables or undesirables. The lady visitor may be somewhat faddy but there must be some foundation for her strictures.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 12 07 12d.

28 March 1913
Chesterton workhouse new master

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1913 03 28.

25 September 1914
A Novel Application. – The Chesterton Guardians had a novel application before them at their meeting held yesterday (Thursday), when the Master (Mr. A. Wild) informed the Board that there was a man waiting downstairs who wanted to know if the Board could supply him with a young lady as a wife. During the past month the man had twice been to see him on the same question. He had told the man that he could not help him in the matter, but he wished to see the Board. Mr. Cross: Does he come from Histon? The Master: Yes. He is downstairs. I have not sent him away, but I told him I did not think you could, assist him. Mr. Hawkins: There is no one in the House who would like to, take this post? The Master: I think not, sir.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1914 09 25.

14 August 1918
Objected to stone-breaking in war-time. — At the Cambridge Borough Court, a 59-year-old London tailor was charged with refusing to perform his allotted task as an inmate of Chesterton Workhouse and, further, with damaging the bolts of his door and a lock on a cupboard to the amount of 7s. 6d. Defendant told the Bench that he objected to stone-breaking in time of war, and had applied for other work, which was refused. He pleaded guilty to both charges, and was sentenced to seven days’ hard labour on the first charge and 14 days’ hard labour on the second.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1918 08 14.

3 March 1920
Board of Guardians—The vacancy in the South Chesterton representation on the Chesterton Board of Guardians, created by the retirement of Mrs. Marsh, has been filled by the election of Mrs. Benjamin Jolley, who was nominated by the Cambridge and District Women Citizens’ Association. There, were two nominations, Mr. Edwin James Arcott, the other nominee, subsequently withdrawing and thus avoiding a contest. Mr. I. Cock, of Fen Ditton has been returned unopposed to fill the vacancy on the Chesterton Rural District Council, caused by the retirement of Mr. L. G. P. Hiring.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1920 03 03.

20 March 1924
The village of Cherry Hinton has been agog with excitement with rumours regarding the wealth of a sexagenarian spinster, who was removed to Chesterton workhouse infirmary. The woman has been living in a little two-roomed whitewashed thatched cottage in the Chequers yard under conditions of poverty. The amount of her wealth has been subject to considerable exaggeration and the latest rumours place the figure at about £1,000. A search revealed £140 in coin of the realm, including £15 in gold, a large number of half-crowns and many smaller coins, secreted in several places in each of the rooms of the cottage, a fact that points to her having hoarded small sums for many years.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1924 03 20.

Chesterton Hospital
20 May 1925
Cambridge Poor Law Guardians considered installing wireless apparatus at the Institution. Mrs Keynes said some members were not entirely satisfied that it would be a very great boon to the inmates, partly because of the nature of the entertainment and partly because the best part of the performance usually came on after their inmates had gone to bed. The chairman handed round copies of the “Radio Times” to enable members to see the types of programmes given. Messrs Allin’s estimate for a six-valve set with five loud speakers was £65. Chesterton Institution had installed three loud speakers and they were appreciated.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1925 05 20.

10 January 1928
A meeting was held to consider collaboration between the Cambridge and Chesterton Unions in the alleviation of the tramp problem. For some reason very few tramps go to Chesterton but very many go to Cambridge which is very seriously overcrowded. The indoor poor of the two unions should be managed by one committee who would gather together all the sick, all the babies, all the children and all the tramps and distribute them between the two existing union houses as seemed most convenient.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1928 01 10 c.

28 March 1930
Interesting reminiscences were given as Chesterton Guardians passed out of existence after 94 years. The first meeting in 1836 appeared to have been in a public house; amongst those attending were the names of Taylor, Linton and Foster and they still had members of these names on the Board. The final report showed the number in the institution was 39 men, 40 women and one child.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 30 03 28f-g.

2 July 1948
What might be termed the swan-Song of the Cambridge County Council Public assistance Committee took place at Shire Hall. In common with many other similar committees its duties will be taken over by the Ministry of Health on 5th July. The chairman, Mrs Mellish Clark, said that at the County Hospital Mill Road they decided to develop the maternity work, to close the causal wards and move the nursery children out to Linton. At Chesterton Hospital they had built a new casual ward, but when the war came these wards were converted by the additional of hospital beds and were being so used at the present time. At Linton they had built a Nurses Home but as there was no proper sanitation t Caxton they had decided to pull it down

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1948 07 02.

25 August 1948
The need for utilising Chesterton hospital for the elderly and infirm people of Cambridgeshire and of housing casuals in some other part of the county was discussed at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the United Cambridge Hospitals. Dr R. Ellis said “There is a tremendous need, with the closing of infirmaries, to know what to do with the people who were housed in such places. A great hardship is being imposed on people who are old – they are literally living in houses in some villages in semi-starvation and dirt. There is no hope for them living in the way they are”. Mr Dennard thought that as far as casuals are concerned they should get a hut at Bourn and house them there

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1948 08 25.

2 September 1949
Celebrating his 102nd birthday Mr Joseph Kester, formerly of Hardwick, and now living at Chesterton Hospital said he felt nothing like his age. This grand old man, who doctors say is the healthiest man in the hospital and certainly has the strongest heart, is usually the most active of the patients. He is ever cheerful, always enjoys a good joke and laugh, and was most amused by some of the comic postcards he received. He was fully employed as an agricultural labourer till he was 86. He did not give up working entirely then but continued to do odd jobs till be was 97. He lived at Hardwick till he was 100

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1949 09 02.

21 March 1952
Joe Kester has died at Chesterton Hospital at the age of 104. On his last birthday he was surrounded by five generations of his family. He was born at Kingston in 1847 but moved to Hardwick as a baby and lived there for 98 years. He remembered when his mother could take a shopping bag the size of a pillowcase to the shops and get it filled for 3s. (15p). He was six when he started work, tending the geese, chickens and turkeys and earned 6d a week. He had only candles for lighting and a tinderbox to light them with. Joe enjoyed a half-pint of beer a day & used to say: “I lived well, worked hard and had plenty of ale and fresh air. Hard work never hurt anybody”

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1952 03 21.

16 March 1959
Frederick Archibald Mace arrived as Master of Chesterton Hospital in 1946 and implemented the changes which have turned it into the bright, happy National Health Service establishment it is today. But to several old people, some of whom have been in the hospital from their childhood and until ten years ago knew it only as an institution, he was still ‘the Master’, but a Master who contradicted all the old Dickensian ideas of institutional life.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 59 03 16.

8 May 1959
Chesterton Hospital held an open day so people could see for themselves what life is really like in a modern old people’s home. The exterior resembles structures of the Dickensian era but give no hint of the warmth, gaiety and colour prevailing inside. Every department bore testimony to how even formidable mansions can be transformed into gay fairy-like palaces. None of the old folks had the slighted complaint and had nothing but praise for the staff.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 59 05 08b.

12 August 1961
Chesterton Hospital has 166 beds for the elderly sick and 74 custodial beds for able-bodied elderly people with no homes of their own. After decades of neglect geriatric medicine has come into its own. The number of elderly people is the highest it has ever been while a declining birth-rate has diminished the number of children available to care for their parents. Now 25 per cent of Britain’s elderly are left without children to look after them in their old age. But of these 95 per cent are living independent lives and a quarter make some contribution to society until the age of 75

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 61 08 12.

12 January 1965
Chesterton Hospital staff shortages are nothing new. Since the invention of antibiotics people do not die of disease at early ages, but live on. Geriatric nursing is not something you would be glad to see your daughter doing. Particularly when there is such a wide choice of less demanding and better-paid jobs. It is hard work: patients have to be fed, washed and helped to a degree unimaginable in other forms of illness. Sometimes their very helplessness makes the patients feel resentful at their dependence on the goodwill of others, so that they are critical rather than grateful for the help that is offered. If Chesterton is one of the most up to date in the country, one shudders to think what the rest must be like–

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 65 01 12.

13 April 1973
Nurses at Chesterton Hospital have dreaded what might happen if flames gripped the most vulnerable of their wards. Sister Pat Hough, of Harston ward, said, “Our ward has 19 continuous care patients. It has a wooden floor and it is above the kitchen”. But yesterday she was a lot happier after a mock fire exercise at the old people’s home in which a new invention came through its first test. The invention – a harness that lies under the mattress and clicks like a car safety belt into an emergency hammock for the patient – is the brain child of the Hospital’s fire officer. She said: “The first patient was down the fire escape 35 seconds after the alarm went off. That is about four times quicker than we could have expected if we had used the conventional method”

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1973 04 13.

26 September 1975
The fire risk wards at Chesterton Hospital have been drawn directly to the attention of the Health Minister, Dr David Owen, by the city MP, Mr David Lane. He expressed concern over the Hospital’s Harston and Hardwick wards where 36 elderly patients are housed in cramped conditions. Both wards are 130 years old and were condemned more than two years ago as fire risks, but because of lack of cash nothing has been done to replace them

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 1975 09 26.

24 December 1986
The Talking Newspaper has been compiled for the past 12 years by a team of committed people to give visually-handicapped people information to enable them to participate in the normal day-to-day chat that we all indulge in. Without it the blind can feel isolated. The three team editors incorporate many of their own interests in the arts and animal life in an hour-long tape containing a mixture of news culled from local sources, features and information such as death notices and forthcoming events. The newspaper has its own recording studio at Chesterton Hospital and is distributed through the free mailing service offered by the Post Office

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Chesterton Scrapbook, reference 86 12 24.