The Almshouses

I really don't want to talk about my day so, for something different, a little local history.

This shows a view of the Almshouses in Saltaire, built for Sir Titus Salt in 1868. They had a remarkable purpose for their time. Each inmate, as they were called, could live rent-free on an allowance of seven shillings and sixpence per week, this some 40 years before the introduction of a state pension. Makes you think, doesn't it? The requirements were a good moral character and an incapacity for labour, by reason of age, disease or infirmity. There was even a little chapel for those unable to walk far enough to go to church. They must have been highly sought after these places. Indeed, if you secured an almshouse, it must have felt a bit like winning the lottery!

Here below are reproduced the rules for living there, taken from the Saltaire Village experience website.

By order of Sir Titus Salt Bart.

1) Only persons of ‘good moral character’, who are deemed either too old or unable to labour, will be admitted.
2) Inmates must be destitute and have no where else to live.
3) Occupants will receive free accommodation and a weekly pension, 7/6d for a single person and 10/- for a married couple.
4) Each house is to be kept clean by, or at the expense of the occupant.
5) Any damage to any of the houses, fixtures or furniture, must be made good by the occupant, or otherwise the cost thereof will be deducted from the weekly allowance.
6) The founder will make a periodical inspection of the Almshouses.
7) No clothes are to be hung out to dry in front of any of the houses.
8) Nor shall any inmate take in washing, or carry on trade or business of any kind.
9) None of the inmates shall underlet the tenement assigned to him, or take any person to lodge or reside therein, without the written permission of the founder.
10) No inmate shall absent themselves from the Almshouses for a period exceeding 48 hours, without the express written consent of the founder.

There were also rather strict rules for working in his mills. Here are a few to give a flavour of how harsh conditions were there, and it was probably no better for the workers anywhere than here!

Any person arriving late will be locked out and lose half a day’s pay. Persistent lateness will result in dismissal.

For every oath or insolent language 3d for the first offence, and if repeated shall be dismissed.

Any person leaving their work & found talking with any of the other workpeople shall be fined 2d for each offence.  Any person in need of the necessary shall ask permission of the Overlooker by raising of a hand.

The founder would recommend that all his work people wash themselves every morning, but they shall wash themselves at least twice a week, Monday morning and Thursday morning; and any found not washed will be fined 3d for each offence.

All persons in our employ shall serve four weeks notice, before leaving their employ; but the founder – shall and will turn any person off without prior notice being given.

If two persons are known to be in a necessary together they shall be fined 3d each; and if any man or boy go into the women’s necessary he shall be instantly dismissed.

I feel very grateful indeed to be living when and where I do.

As Arachne has so rightly just pointed out, the workers making a lot of the clothes we wear today are probably not much better off, if at all.