Page:A History of Horncastle from the Earliest Period to the Present Time.djvu/153

134 The "workhouse" preceded the "union," which latter term was adopted when parishes, throughout a large district, were united for the purposes of poor relief." In some cases a country parish had its own workhouse. For instance, old parish books of Thimbleby, show that in 1819 £20 was spent upon the village workhouse, which was insured for £200.

Among some old churchwardens' records, in the possession of Mr. John Overton, of Horncastle (members of whose family have frequently held that office), it is mentioned that early in the 18th century a "public oven" was erected in the town to enable the poor to cook their meals, or to bake the "black bread," then in common use, more conveniently than they could at home. At a later date (1780) a spinning school was established by public rate, to help the poor to earn a livelihood by a home industry.

An important advance was made in poor relief, in 1735, when, as the same records state, "on April 17 a committee was appointed, in Horncastle, to build a workhouse," and on May 7th in the following year a brief note gives the cost of the building as being £175 13s. 4d. This was situated on the east side of St. Mary's Square, separated by a few yards from the Grammar School, the site being now (1908) occupied by a common lodging house. It continued to be the public workhouse for over 100 years; and that the poor, who needed relief, were generally expected to enter as inmates, is shewn by another brief note, in the same records, to the following effect: "May 2nd, 1781. Out payments discontinued, except in sickness."

It was not till 1838 that the present workhouse, in Foundry Street, was built, from the designs of Mr.—afterwards Sir—Gilbert Scott, being one of his earliest undertakings. It is a commodious structure, capable of