Catalogue description Folios 481-483. Workhouse Inspection Report Form from Dr Edward Smith, Poor Law...

Folios 481-483. Workhouse Inspection Report Form from Dr Edward Smith, Poor Law Inspector, to the Poor Law Board, reporting his inspection of the Mansfield Poor Law Union Workhouse on 23 May 1870, 6 June 1870 and 7 September 1870; includes details of medical provision, management of the school, the vagrant wards, etc

Smith does not report any problems other than commenting that certain re-arrangement are desirable, particularly with regard to the sick. He states he met with a special committee on 7 September 1870 regarding this. On writing this report he states that he has not received the report of this committee.

Also enclosed is a note from Dr Smith, relating to his inspection of the Mansfield Poor Law Union Workhouse, dated 31 March 1871. Smith states that he had not heard of any action on the part of the Mansfield Guardians to carry out certain recommendations which he made to them (and subsequently to the committee appointed by them)on the subject of the accommodation of the sick and the classification of the ordinary inmates. Dr Smith states that he visited the workhouse on 31 March 1871 and nothing had been done. He says that the excellent master, who had been there at his former visits, had left and two other had been appointed since that time so that some delay may be accounted for. Dr Smith says he made the following entry in the visitors' book and he says he thinks the Board should call attention to it. 'I have visited the workhouse today and regret to find that no further provision has been made for the sick. I attended a meeting of the guardians last year and pointed out the defects existing, and subsequently twice conferred with the committee and indicated a very simple and inexpensive plan of remedying the defects, which seemed to be approved by the committee. I find that during the last winter for female sick has been filled, whilst on the male sick the accommodation has been so defective that ten beds have been occupied in another part of the building, to which the sick pass through the vagrants ward. Moreover there are no day rooms nor separate yards for the sick. I submit this matter to the attention of the guardians and am of the opinion that a remedy such as that already suggested should be found without delay. If the guardians require a detailed statement of the plan suggested, or if they wish to confer with me upon it, I shall be happy to meet their wishes, but the plan proposed, I should think, well remembered by some members of the committee. There is not a separate yard for the aged apart from the able bodied and consequently the classification of the ordinary inmates is important. I shall further inspect the workhouse in the spring.'

Annotated: write to the guardians as suggested

Paper Number: 7091/1871.

Poor Law Union Number: 337.

Counties: Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.