Southowram Workhouse: Arthur Porritt

The expenses of the Workhouse for the thirteen calendar months 31st January 1758 totalled £217 19/4d. The 's quota of inmates during this period had been 1,560 costing, at 2/0¾d = £161 16/7¾. Skircoat had produced 544 inmates, who at the same rate per head cost £56 2/6¼d The Southowram Workhouse then housed 2,104 persons during the thirteen months period just completed. The cost per head increased by 3¾d over the previous year's level.

If someone took a child as an apprentice from the Workhouse and subsequently returned the child, a penalty had to be paid. For example, on Christmas Eve 1783, Thomas Holdsworth went as an apprentice to Miss Phoebe Wood. Later it appears that Miss Wood did not want him

He was 7 years old last Candlemas

Miss Wood paid a penalty of Ten Pounds in lieu thereof

The number of inmates has been decreasing during the first half of 1762 and on 1st July it was ordered that 10 named persons from Skircoat be admitted. They did, it seems, for at the next meeting the Skircoat inmates had increased from 6 to 16, the Southowram number being then 14. The total passed through the Workhouse that year was 1,151, this being practically 1,000 fewer than the number six years earlier.

A Trustee for Skircoat was John W. Campinott and as he was not said to be a good writer or speller some of his notes were rather entertaining. In the notes of a meeting in June 1777 a note was made as follows:

That Jno. Campinott, Church Warden, do buy 2 beasts for the use of the Town of Southowram

A later entry said

24th June 1777: Bought of F. Farrar one Cow at £6 12/6d neat.

30th June 1777: Sould for the euse of the pore house two Cows at £13 10/6d and to be paid for them by the Overseer as soone as he haith gotten his assessment maide