19 March 2024
In September 1921, there was a violent clash between police and protesters outside Leicester’s Poor Law Offices. Ned Newitt visited us in March to explain the causes of this “Rupert Street Revolt” and to tell us how Leicester’s poor were treated before the advent of the Welfare State.
The Poor Law of 1834 replaced an earlier system, in which individual parishes were responsible for supporting impoverished members of their community, mostly through payments known as “outdoor relief”. The new Act bound parishes into Poor Law Unions, each with a workhouse. You could only obtain relief by entering the workhouse and conditions there were designed to be harsh enough that no-one would choose to go there if they were able to do any other kind of labour. For example, husbands, wives and children were separated; the food was poor; and occupants were given menial tasks like breaking rocks or picking apart tarred ropes (“oakum”).
Leicester’s workhouse was built soon afterwards on Swain Street – the site now overlooking the sidings of the railway station. It was designed by the same architect as Welford Road Prison and the two buildings had many features in common. A recession in 1841 made more people unemployed than the building could accommodate so a manually operated corn mill was installed and out-relief would only be given in exchange for many hours spent working the mill. The men found that, if they looked like finishing too quickly, the mill would be adjusted to make the work harder. In protest, they broke the mill, which led to court action and riots. During a further recession in 1848, applicants for out-relief were required to break stone in a yard. When the rules were changed to require attendance for 13 hours a day, their protests had to be suppressed by the local militia and a curfew was imposed. One outcome was that a larger workhouse was built but, with the rapidly growing population of the town, it soon became fully occupied by the aged and infirm, unmarried mothers and the mentally ill.
Alternative provision was gradually made for those unable to work. The North Evington Poor Law Infirmary received the sick and the Borough and County Lunatic Asylums received the mentally ill. (These institutions later became Leicester General Hospital, the Towers Hospital and the Fielding Johnson Building of Leicester University.) The Countesthorpe Cottage Homes were built for orphans. From 1910, labour exchanges were created and unemployment insurance could be paid for up to 6 months, subject to strict criteria. The government also established local Distress Funds – though without any funding.
Following the First World War, returning soldiers faced mass unemployment and they rallied under the slogan “Work or Maintenance” to demand that some provision other than the workhouse should be made for them. By 1921, the Leicester Poor Law Guardians had proposed a relief scheme but it seemed to be endlessly delayed while waiting for approval from government. The Guardians’ office was on Rupert Street (at the back of Pocklington’s Walk) and on 30th September, a crowd of protesters gathered outside, demanding an interview. Their spokesman was Charles Jennett, originally from Leicester but with a dubious history, having deserted from the navy and been arrested several times in London for breaches of the peace. His presence might explain the action of the police, who emerged from the office wielding truncheons and “striking indiscriminately anyone who came in their way.” There were many injuries on both sides, including Jennett, who was struck down from behind. A photograph shows the police leading him away. During the evening, several thousand people gathered to call for Jennett’s release and there were pitched battles at the Town Hall and the Clock Tower. On the same day the Guardians offered an increased payment, then followed up with schemes to create work such as digging culverts. Although protests and recriminations continued, they were largely peaceful.
These reforms probably would not have happened without the riot, which was one of many events across the country that contributed to the development of the welfare state as it exists today. In 1948 the NHS was established and Leicester Workhouse was converted into Hillcrest Hospital for the care of the elderly. It was finally demolished in 1977 and now only the front gate can be seen.