Chelsea Workhouse 20 March 1871
Gentn. We the undersigned Inmates of the above House beg most respectfully to address your honourable Board in respect to a grievance under which we are now suffering, viz: In consequence of the prevalence of the Small Pox we have been deprived of our usual liberty of going out on Sunday’s, thus depriving us of the benefit of Air & exercise, & visiting our friends –
It is now Eight Weeks since we last went out – All the Inmates having been Vaccinated in the House very recently & we humbly conceive there is very little danger of contagion, but we think there is much more so from the admission of Tramps – Inmates also go out daily to the Stone Yard to take Bread & Oakum – they also go out with the Wood Truck, & Messengers are daily sent out on various occasions – therefore we conceive we have been harshly treated. We would also mention that 4 Inmates were let out yesterday – which favouritism is decidedly wrong, if it is safe for them, it is equally so for us –
If your Honourable Board will be good enough to enquire into this matter the Inmates will much appreciate your Kindness. Our Friends have been prohibited from Visiting the house for the last Three Months. (P.T.O.)
[The following names are in the form of a Round Robin]
James Perry, George Clarke, John Parker, William Bailey, John Allen, Patrick Henry,
William Bushnell, John Richards, Job [Green], John Evans, [Jame] Goulding,
Saml.Tripp, James Kitsell, John Rowntree, John Streek, William Pepper, Robert
Holgate, John Braker, Hugh [Mcaddyn], C. Pratt, John [Conor], Jn. McLagan,
Charles [Howarth], A. Balding, Heney Penton, Henry Essery, Richard Leeson, Henry Buske, William Robinson, John Taylor, John Laing.
In addition to the above Signatures, all the Old Men are favourable to this application.
Glossary
Viz = in other words
Liberty = freedom- no restrictions
Round Robin = a petition which includes signatures written in a circle to hide the order in which they have been written. This is done to show that no one is more important than the other