This pauper letter claims that the workhouse garden is full of vegetables and animals but none of the produce is used for the inmates, 24 May, 1862, Catalogue ref: MH12/13675.
Poor Law Union: Bradford on Avon Union
Counties: Wiltshire and Somerset
Transcript
Gentlemen I send you these few lines to ask your favour whether there are any rules allowed in the Bradford Union House, Avoncliff.
I consider that there is not a Union in the country going on as this is there. All the garden is cultivated with things to maintain horses and pigs, honkey ducks, and fowl, pigeons, ferrets, monkey and dogs and there is a pit of mangold wurzels [root vegetable like a turnip] and a large patch of vegetables growing more.
Gentleman, people are sent out about the country to plant other peoples’ gardens and to carry faggots [bundles of sticks bound for fuel] for other people and there is not enough food [supplied to us to be able] to do the work as we have got it to do.
Gentleman, there is a man up in the sickroom dying with no nourishment to go into his mouth.