Walsall

West Bromwich and Walsall School District

Wigmore

One of the earliest developments after the arrival of Mr William James Gilpin in September 1871 as Master of West Bromwich Union Workhouse, had regard to the treatment of pauper children. Up to the age of 4 years children may (and do) safely remain in the Workhouse; but after that age it is well to endeavour to remove them as far as possible from all the contaminating influences and taints of concentrated pauperism.

Various means are adopted to effect this. West Bromwich Union joined with Walsall Union in the formation of a school district, their respective contributions to the undertaking being in the proportion of about 2:1.

The district school was erected at Wigmore, a convenient situation for both the contributing Unions, and was opened on May 1st 1872, when the number of children drafted in were:

From West Bromwich Union ........ 157
From Walsall Union ................... 56
Total 213

For the 2 years previous to this the West Bromwich children had found no accommodation in the workhouse, but had been boarded out at Stoke on Trent, where the authorities had possessed an excess of accommodation. At Wigmore the boys are now under the control of a Superintendent, and the girls of a Matron; the former are taught the trades of the Tailor, Shoemaker, baker and gardener, while a proportion assist and learn all they can from the engineer; the girls are employed in the laundry and at other useful domestic avocations. The boys get military drill; and, by way of brightening the lives of the whole establishment, a good juvenile brass band is conducted among them.

At the age of fourteen the boys are apprenticed, and the girls are sent out to domestic service, but for two years after leaving they are visited and supervised by the Chaplain.

Source:
History of West Bromwich 1895

Page updated August 06, 2007