Hopwood & Heywood March 2022

From The Archives
THE DEARNLEY OR BIRCH HILL WORKHOUSE
As early as 1598 the government
decreed that parishes throughout
England had to oversee their own
poor and provide parish houses
for those who could not support
themselves and their families
through work.
Poor relief in the years following, further
reinforced the responsibility of the parish
through its townships for the poor by
providing shelter and employment.
However, this national arrangement
became too expensive, costing £2 million
pounds to the Exchequer in 1784 but
£7 million pounds by 1832. Something
had to change and the New Poor Law
of 1834 shifted onus and responsibility
by recommending that those unable to
survive through employment should go to
the workhouse and do menial work there,
the place being administered by local
workhouse unions. Although shelter, basic
food and employment would be found in
the workhouse, they became unpopular as
conditions in them was far from pleasant.
However, by 1850 most towns in Britain
had workhouses.
Rochdale was no exception, its Poor Law
Union forming in 1837 in the face of much
delaying opposition from local ratepayers
led by Alderman Thomas Livsey who called
for a boycott of the election of workhouse
Guardians on the grounds that workhouses
were becoming ‘prisons for the poor’
and where inmates were divided by age
Delaying tactics worked only temporarily
however, so the protesters decided to put
up their own candidates for Guardians who,
once elected would refuse to attend crucial
Board meetings. The fight continued as
people in the town were fiercely opposed to
the Poor Law Amendment Act, Rochdale’s
first MP, John Fenton, losing his seat after
he voted in favour of the law. However,
after many legal threats and further delays
the Poor Law Union Act was implemented
in the town and workhouses for some
time afterwards catered (through periods
of boom and bust in the textile industries)
for many hundreds of people so that by
the mid-19th century under the Poor Law,
Rochdale had workhouses in Spotland
on Primrose Street (100 places), Marland
off Marland Old Road (50, later 300)
Hollingworth on Syke Lane (58),
Calf Hey near Wardle Fold (30) and at
Wardleworth (24).
Over the years and due to gradual
overcrowding and very poor conditions
in the workhouses, the local Poor Law
Guardians looked to find an alternative
to the Spotland, Hollingworth and
Wardleworth workhouses. The one at
Spotland in particular was in such a parlous
state structurally that part of it collapsed
possibly due to coal mine subsidence under
its foundations. Even though it was patched
up temporarily it stayed open for a number
of years during the late 1860’s, ‘lunatics
and imbeciles’ according to Spotland
Township minutes, ‘being kept in that
part of the building which had given way.’
and gender.
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