Document Two - Charlotte Guest's Statement

Witness statement given during an investigation into the misconduct of John Stokes, Porter of the workhouse for punishing a six year old boy for wetting the bed. A summons was taken out against Stokes for assault on Perks, this resulted in a fine. The guardians resolved that Stokes immediately be dismissed. This course of action was strongly approved of by the Poor Law Commissioners.

Transcript

Date of letter: 7 September 1840
Borough of Kidderminster
County of Worcester
At a Petty Sessions at the Guildhall
Present the Mayor
William Boycot Esquire
Charlotte Guest wife of John Guest an inmate of the Workhouse says in consequence of what I heard in the workhouse on Friday morning about ½ past Seven o’clock I went into a room called the Tool house which adjoins the Entrance Hall of the Workhouse, the Door was open- I went in I saw a Bag apparently with something in it hanging up on a pair of Steelyards the bottom of the bag baing about a yard from the ground – I said “Perks” and the little boy answered – I asked him
who put him there- he said the Porter- with that he began to cry- I observed that the bag was tied up at it’s mouth close down upon his head- it was a dirty Potato Bag and it was tied so low that there was not room for the Boy to stand upright. I went to Mr Stevens he was in the Kitchen- I told him about it- I said do you know where the Boy Perks is-and I told him where he was and the Governor went towards the place- the Porter was in his lodge next the Hall- I did not return with the Master-
12 September 1840