Bedwellty Union Workhouse

Until 1834, poor relief was distributed at the discretion of the local parish from money raised from tax on property known as the poor rate. The way in which poor relief was administered varied enormously from area to area on a case-by-case basis. The population explosion from the Industrial Revolution turned many small rural parishes into the large towns overnight; this together with the unpredictable employment made poor law relief unsustainable. In 1832, the government appointed a royal commission to investigate the distribution of poor law relief in a sample of 3,000 parishes either by questionnaire or visits. A leading commissioner, later secretary of the Poor Law Commission, Edwin Chadwick believed that the system required a comprehensive reform and control from a main body in London. He also held the belief that the existing system: "needed to be reformed in such a way as to deter people from making unnecessary demands on public funds."[1] The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 was passed and a Poor Law Commission for England and Wales was set up in London employing inspectors to oversee the necessary changes. Single parishes were grouped together to form Unions and a total of 600 locally elected Board of Guardians ran these unions; this was the birth of local government. The Unions oversaw the poor relief in their particular geographical areas and were also instructed to build a workhouse to provide indoor relief to all those unable to support themselves financially. The able-bodied poor became the focus of the government reforms, as Fowler explains: "the poor law regime was specifically designed to discourage the entry of such people by making conditions worse than they might expect outside and offering a variety of further petty humiliations, from uncomfortable uniforms and dull food to tedious, unending tasks...taking the guardians’ hospitality was designed to be a degrading process and none but the desperate would undergo.".[2]

In 1837, Abergavenny Union was formed and then in 1849, the western part of the union comprising Bedwellty and Aberystruth separated and were joined the parishes of Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Tredegar and Rhymney to create Bedwellty Poor Law Union. The Union was overseen by a Board of Guardians that had been elected by local landowners.

Prior to the formation of poor law unions, the parishes supported those in poverty, either maintaining them in their homes with 'outdoor' relief or ‘indoor relief' in already existing workhouses. Tredegar had an existing workhouse, known as Twyn Y Ddraenen (Thornhill), situated in the centre of Queen Square. The building still stands today, and has been converted into three houses.[3]

The Bedwellty Board of Guardians built a new workhouse in the Georgetown area of Tredegar and they also continued to give ‘outdoor relief’,[4] as there was a lack of adequate workhouse accommodation in periods of high unemployment.[5] This was evident in the Welsh Coal Strike of 1889, when Adams states "a deputation of unemployed men from Abertillery and Blaina waited on the Board, asking for help."[6] The Board of Guardians did not allow relief in industrial disputes so stone breaking was offered as a means of employment for outdoor relief.

There are some positive things to note about the Bedwellty Union workhouse. From the beginning provision was made for educating child inmates by employing a school mistress. Consequently in 1857 a committee made a positive School inspection.[7] These innovations would be seen as forward thinking because compulsory education had not been introduced into England and Wales until the Elementary Education Act 1880. Also, in 1901 the origins of the nurse training that became part of St James Hospital began in the workhouse infirmary when probationary nurses were first employed.[8]

The building, which was designed by a Mr Humphries of Cheltenham, was completed and opened with capacity for 300 inmates in 1852. Mr and Mrs Keogh were the first employed members of staff as respectively, Master and Matron.[9] Other employees in the workhouse included a Medical Officer, Dr T.G. Anthony; the Rev. Wm. Jones, in the role of chaplain; a school-mistress; a nurse and a porter.[10] Nevertheless, the new workhouse soon became feared and hated: families who entered were separated many regarded it as a prison and discipline was harsh. The community tried to keep ill, aged and families of those men injured at work in their homes by collections to provide money for food and rent. People would avoid the workhouse because of the humiliation and stigma that it induced. Consequently entering it was considered a last resort.[11]

Around 1882, Walter Conway, who was to become the Secretary of the Tredegar Medical Aid Society (whose model helped to shape the principles of the NHS), became an inmate as a boy, after the death of his father. Conway was an inmate for about 2½ years. He had positive memories of his time there. He learned from the master the lesson 'to do everything well'. And while he was there he acquired his love of books.[12]

In 1901 a new building was added to the existing one, which is believed to be the Infirmary.[13] Soon afterwards in 1904, at the request of the local Registrar, the workhouse was named 'Ty Bryn’ to prevent the stigmatization of inmates who were born there.[14]

In 1902 James Callaghan murdered his common law wife Hannah Shea. She was living at the workhouse with their children and he was staying in lodgings in the town. He was convicted and then executed at Usk Prison. He was hung by brothers William and John Billington.[15]

The workhouse continued to shelter the poor and infirm until 1930 when the Bedwellty Union and its Board of Guardians were abolished. The workhouse then became known as the 'County Infirmary' and was run by Monmouthshire County Council.

Following the enactment of the National Health Service Act 1946 in 1948, the County Infirmary was renamed 'St James Hospital' and came under the management of the North Monmouthshire Hospital Management Committee. At this time it: “was in need of major investment to meet the demands of a contemporary hospital” The hospital also still provided shelter for those who were not requiring medical care.[21] There was a chronic shortage of nursing staff which resulted in general and maternity beds being closed in the 1950s. A campaign was launched to recruit and re-train nursing staff. A new operating theatre was open in 1963 will help from General Surgeon Mr. J S. McConnachie, the hospital took on acute care with surgical beds, a pathology department and dispensary service.[22]

In 1969 the building of the new Nevill Hall Hospital first phase was completed the surgical beds were transferred there from St James Hospital leaving medical and maternity beds. The second phase of Nevill Hall Hospital was completed in 1970 and St James Hospital’s maternity beds were also transferred.[23]

The hospital closed in 1976 and was demolished in 1979. Today the site is a housing estate known as St James Park.

• Bedwellty

Fowler, Simon (2008). Workhouse The people The places The life behind doors. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-1905615285.

Higginbotham, Peter (2012). The Workhouse Encyclopedia. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. ISBN 978 0 7524 7718 3.

Higginbotham, Peter (2022). Workhouses of Wales and the Welsh Borders. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: The History Press. ISBN 978 0 7509 9978 6.