The Market Bosworth Union Workhouse

The Union Workhouse was built in 1836 on the Atherstone Road, Market Bosworth and designed to care for 200 paupers. It cost about £3000 to build and it was intended to serve the 28 parishes that were members of Market Bosworth Union. These parishes were spread over an area of 79 square miles and were divided into two districts, Market Bosworth and Ibstock, for administration purposes. . For some people, the shame and distress that they might have felt at having to move into the Workhouse would have been compounded by the distance that they may have had to travel.

Luke and Ann Wright were probably the first master and mistress of the Workhouse and certainly they were appointed before 1840.

Five years after it was built, the population of the 28 parishes within the Union was 13600 people who lived in 2780 houses. Besides these inhabited houses, there were 122 empty houses and 15 houses under erection. Based on figures provided by the parishes in the Union, in 1838 the cost of caring for the poor was reduced from an annual average of £7101 during the three years prior to setting up the Union to £5497.

Sources: Trade Directories, White 1846; Pigot, 1840