Workhouse Inmates
For many people the workhouse was the place of last resort. Reasons for going to the workhouse were chronic illness, disability, unemployment, pregnancy, debt and abandonment by parents or spouse. Whole families sometimes ended up in the workhouse, and some returned more than once.
As paupers arrived at the workhouse they were washed and their hair was cut short. All their belongings were taken away and they were given a workhouse uniform to wear. Families were separated, with men, women and children living in separate blocks.
This was probably not considered cruel, since it offered more privacy, and prevented abuses. All inmates had to do some kind of work.
Staff and Occupants of the Workhouse 1861
| STAFF | ||||||
| John | GRAY | Mar | 1833 | 28 | Norwich | Head |
| Emily | GRAY | Mar | 1823 | 38 | Marham | Wife |
| George | DUSGATE | UnMar | 1834 | 27 | Holt | Schoolwork |
| Sarah | JOHNSON | UnMar | 1839 | 22 | Little Walsingham | Schoolmistress |
| Thomas | OSBORNE | Mar | 1833 | 28 | Lowestoft Suffolk | Porter |
| Ellen | OSBORNE | Mar | 1834 | 27 | Brandeston Suffolk | Servant |
| Ann | PARKER | Wid | 1798 | 63 | Wighton | Nurse |
| RESIDENTS | ||||||
| Catharine | RICHES | UnMar | 1834 | 27 | East Barsham | Domestic servant |
| Thomas | RICHES | 1857 | 4 | Fakenham | ||
| Catharine | RICHES | 1859 | 2 | Great Snoring | ||
| Elizh | BRIGHT | Wid | 1782 | 79 | East Barsham | Charwoman |
| Robert | ARCHER | 1854 | 7 | Terrington | Scholar | |
| Hannah | ARCHER | 1858 | 3 | Unknown | Scholar | |
| Willm H | BLACK | 1856 | 5 | London | Scholar | |
| George | BICKS | 1860 | 1 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Mary | MUSSETT | Wid | 1778 | 83 | Hindringham | Charwoman |
| Elizh | DICKERSON | UnMar | 1812 | 49 | Binham | Field Worker |
| Louisa | DICKERSON | 1854 | 7 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| James | BICKS | 1856 | 5 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Robt | BICKS | 1851 | 10 | Binham | Scholar | |
| George | BULLEN | Wid | 1781 | 80 | Field Dalling | Ag Lab |
| Howard | THOMPSON | Mar | 1793 | 68 | Blakeney | Sailor |
| Margt | THOMPSON | 1852 | 9 | Liverpool Lancashire | Scholar | |
| Thomas | WHITE | Wid | 1794 | 67 | Wells | Sailor |
| William | RISBOROUGH | UnMar | 1797 | 64 | Briston | Ag Lab |
| Rebecca | SPENCE | UnMar | 1801 | 60 | Blakeney | Seamstress |
| Jemima | ANTINGHAM | 1847 | 14 | Rudham | Scholar | |
| Samuel | SKIPPON | Wid | 1795 | 66 | South Creake | Cordwainer |
| Will | SKIPPON | Wid | 1806 | 55 | Fakenham | Cordwainer |
| John | WILLIMOT | Wid | 1804 | 57 | Helhoughton | Cordwainer |
| George | NEWTON | Wid | 1800 | 61 | Fakenham | Ag Lab |
| Paul | FARROW | Wid | 1800 | 61 | Wickmere | Carpenter |
| Robt | BUNTING | 1847 | 14 | Fakenham | Scholar | |
| John | BUNTING | 1852 | 9 | Fakenham | Scholar | |
| William | MANN | UnMar | 1793 | 68 | Fulmodeston | Ag Lab |
| Robt | WALLS | Mar | 1789 | 72 | Helhoughton | Ag Lab |
| Robt | HANDFORD | Wid | 1787 | 74 | Norwich | Cordwainer |
| Susanna | READ | 1847 | 14 | Norwich | Scholar | |
| Will | SKERRY | Wid | 1788 | 73 | Fakenham | Ag Lab |
| Maria | LEE | UnMar | 1823 | 38 | Hindringham | Field Worker |
| Alfred | LEE | 1849 | 12 | Hindringham | Scholar | |
| James | LEE | 1851 | 10 | Hindringham | Scholar | |
| George | LEE | 1855 | 6 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Elizabeth | LEE | UnMar | 1830 | 31 | Hindringham | Field Worker |
| William | LEE | 1852 | 9 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Robt | LEE | 1856 | 5 | Hindringham | Scholar | |
| Deborah | ROWE | UnMar | 1827 | 34 | Hindringham | Domestic Servant |
| Alfred | ROWE | 1857 | 4 | Great Snoring | ||
| Esther | LEE | 1844 | 17 | Great Snoring | Domestic Servant | |
| Evelina | EDGE | 1858 | 3 | Great Snoring | ||
| Elizabeth | NOBLES | Wid | 1782 | 79 | Cawston | Seamstress |
| Mary Ann | OLLIVER | Mar | 1790 | 71 | Unknown | Seamstress |
| Ann | MCKENZIE | Wid | 1799 | 62 | At Sea | Domestic Servant |
| Mary | DENSON | Wid | 1779 | 82 | Wells | Charwoman |
| Ann | PLUMB | Wid | 1778 | 83 | Little Walsingham | Domestic Servant |
| Sarah | MASSINGHAM | UnMar | 1833 | 28 | Langham | Field Worker |
| Jonathan | MASSINGHAM | 1854 | 7 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Ellen | POOLEY | UnMar | 1837 | 24 | Morston | Field Worker |
| Susanna | CHAPMAN | UnMar | 1839 | 22 | West Rainham | Domestic Servant |
| Mary | MIDDLETON | UnMar | 1838 | 23 | Stibbard | Domestic Servant |
| Robt | MIDDLETON | 1860 | 1 | Great Snoring | ||
| Susan | BANGAY | UnMar | 1829 | 32 | Great Walsingham | Field Worker |
| Matilda | BANGAY | 1853 | 8 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Milenda | BANGAY | 1858 | 3 | Great Snoring | ||
| Sarah | BALLS | UnMar | 1822 | 39 | Wells | Dressmaker |
| Eliza | COE | UnMar | 1823 | 38 | Field Dalling | Field worker |
| Susan | COE | 1849 | 12 | Field Dalling | Scholar | |
| Rebecca | RIX | UnMar | 1836 | 25 | Wells | Domestic Servant |
| George | RIX | 1860 | 1 | Camberwell London | Domestic Servant | |
| Elizabeth | LONG | UnMar | 1832 | 29 | Bale | Field Worker |
| William | LONG | 1854 | 7 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Elizh | LONG | 1856 | 5 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Lydia | LONG | 1860 | 1 | Great Snoring | ||
| Ellen | LONG | UnMar | 1834 | 27 | Bale | Field Worker |
| John | LONG | 1854 | 7 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Robt | LONG | 1856 | 5 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Dorcas | LONG | 1859 | 2 | Bale | ||
| Hannah | TURNER | UnMar | 1840 | 21 | Unknown | Domestic servant |
| Maria | HALL | Wid | 1832 | 29 | Hindringham | CharWoman |
| John | HALL | 1848 | 13 | Wells | Scholar | |
| William | HALL | 1851 | 10 | Wells | Scholar | |
| Elizabeth | WRIGHT | Mar | 1814 | 47 | Burnham Overy | Domestic servant |
| Herbert | WRIGHT | 1853 | 8 | Oulton | Scholar | |
| Mary Ann | SNELL | UnMar | 1843 | 18 | Wighton | Worker |
| Ann | PARKER | Mar | 1824 | 37 | Thellby Lincolnshire | Charlady |
| Chas | PARKER | 1848 | 13 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | Scholar | |
| Eliza | PARKER | 1852 | 9 | Whittlesey Cambridgeshire | Scholar | |
| Jane | PARKER | 1854 | 7 | Wells | Scholar | |
| George | PARKER | 1856 | 5 | Lynn | Scholar | |
| Walter | PARKER | 1859 | 2 | Wymondham | ||
| Sarah | PINCHEW | UnMar | 1822 | 39 | Bognor | Seamstress |
| Harriet | HALL | UnMar | 1821 | 40 | Wells | None |
| Margt | STONE | UnMar | 1831 | 30 | Warham | None |
| Rose Anna | MOY | UnMar | 1840 | 21 | Little Ryburgh | Domestic servant |
| Laura Florence | MOY | 1861 | 3 Weeks | Great Snoring | ||
| Susannah | LOWRY | Wid | 1827 | 34 | Stiffkey | Charlady |
| Thomas | LOWRY | 1848 | 13 | London | Scholar | |
| Elizh | LOWRY | 1857 | 4 | London | ||
| Esther | MIDDLETON | UnMar | 1824 | 37 | Little Snoring | None |
| William | DRURY | UnMar | 1822 | 39 | Wells | Ag Lab |
| Robt | PROUDFOOT | Wid | 1796 | 65 | Stiffkey | Ag Lab |
| George | PAUL | UnMar | 1837 | 24 | Little Snoring | Ag Lab |
| Chas | BUNN | UnMar | 1838 | 28 | Wells | Cordwainer |
| John | READ | UnMar | 1824 | 37 | West Rainham | Agricultural labourer |
| Will | SOUTHGATE | UnMar | 1822 | 39 | Great Snoring | Agricultural labourer |
| Will | BALLS | UnMar | 1810 | 31 | Wells | Sailor |
| Robt | JARVIS | Wid | 1798 | 63 | Guestwick | Farmer |
| Joseph | PARRY | Wid | 1780 | 81 | Hartshorne | Gardener |
| William | CURL | Mar | 1795 | 66 | Warham | Gardener |
| Geo | BAMBRIDGE | Wid | 1799 | 62 | Corpusty | Cordwainer |
| Richd | GOODMAN | Mar | 1800 | 61 | Toftrees | Agricultural labourer |
| Will | PATRICK | Wid | 1791 | 70 | Wells | Coal Porter |
| Robt | JARRETT | UnMar | 1784 | 77 | Stiffkey | Miller |
| Will | SNELL | Wid | 1798 | 63 | Wighton | Agricultural labourer |
| John | GAGEN | UnMar | 1784 | 77 | Foulsham | Agricultural labourer |
| Arthur | WISKER | 1855 | 6 | Blakeney | Scholar | |
| Alfd | CHILVERS | 1850 | 11 | S Rainham | Scholar | |
| John | PLANE | 1850 | 11 | Sculthorpe | Scholar | |
| Alfred | HILL | 1847 | 14 | Lynn | Scholar | |
| Thomas | CREED | 1849 | 12 | Wells | Scholar | |
| George | BUNN | 1847 | 14 | Wells | Scholar | |
| Robt | EDGE | 1851 | 10 | Unknown | Scholar | |
| Nehemiah | EDGE | 1855 | 6 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| William | EDGE | 1847 | 14 | Syderstone | Scholar | |
| Rhoda | PLANE | 1847 | 14 | Sculthorpe | Scholar | |
| Frances | WITHERS | 1848 | 13 | Great Snoring | Scholar | |
| Christiana | COOK | 1845 | 16 | Wells | Scholar | |
| Harriet | COOK | 1851 | 10 | Wells | Scholar | |
| Ruth | BLACK | 1852 | 9 | London | Scholar | |
| Geo Will | BLACK | 1854 | 7 | London | Scholar | |
