Private
Pewsey Rectory
May 16.94
Dear Mr Baldwyn Fleming
I hope you will do your best to oblige the Guardians in this Union to make a radical improvement in the dietary of the House here – I have ever since I have been a Guardian tried my interest to get reforms carried until xxxx xxxx I am afraid that I am looked upon by the Board as a wasteful enthusiast and yet I believe that nothing that I have advocated has been more than more than ordinary decency ^ & humanity^ has demanded – The dxxx dietary here has been ^hitherto^ little better than sufficient to prevent starvation & I dbt whether the new one is much better – One day, I remember dinner is to consist of weak soup & a bit of bread another a bit of suet pudding and a potatoe or two. The children are never to touch a fruit – though currants gooseberries – apples pears etc grows in the Wkhouse garden!
I am all for the wkhouse test – when the workhouse does not mean starvation misery & every sort of discomfort – that can possibly be imagined I don’t wonder at the poor people in this district preferring to die in a ditch – Only yesterday I happened to look in the Hospital and a poor old fellow in his nightshirt was being dragged backwards across the ward to the nightstool by a [****] idiot attendant [****] another old pauper [****] wouldn’t have imagined greater misery – We are 50 years behind the times here – We have no dining room – Many of the windows are only [cucumber] frames – The wards are cold – and [****] – desperately clean – no doubt –
Yr. faily
Bertrand P. Bouverie
P.S. When you come this way come & stay with me I shld be glad to have a chat with you –