Minutes of evidence.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Andover Union
Date:
[1846]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Minutes of evidence. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/1416 (page 15)
    after they had once taken to eat them they preferred that employment to any Mr. H. Mundy. other, because they then got more food. —-- 353. Did they all of them state that they had not a sufficiency of bread?— 24 April 1846. A great part of them did. 354. Did they state to you that they ate raw potatoes ?—Not upon that occasion. 355. Upon any other did they?—Yes. 356. Have you any doubt of the truth of their eating the marrow and the gristle of those bones?—Not the least. 357. You think there is no doubt of their having been in the constant habit of doing so?—I am quite satisfied of it. 358. Since that inquiry have you discovered anything relative to the boys being employed to break bones ?—Yes. 359- What time of the year were they principally employed in doing so ? •—In the summer. 360. Was the crushing of bones ever stopped by any of the guardians in the summer ? —Yes, by Mr. Loscombe. 361. Why?—Because the smell was so offensive he thought it might be in¬ jurious to the health of the inmates, and the medical gentleman also gave that as his opinion. 362. Which medical gentleman ?—Mr. Westlake. 363. That it would be injurious to their health to continue breaking the bones in summer ?—'Yes, during the time the weather was warm. 364. What was the age of the boys employed to break those bones ?—Dif¬ ferent ages ; boys of eight or ten were employed at that time. 36,5. How many hours a day were they employed ?—Five hours. 366. Is there a bone mill in the Andover Union ?—No. 367. Are the bones pounded ?—Yes, in large boxes. 368. In wooden or stone boxes ?—I believe they are wooden boxes, bound with iron. 369. What is used to pound them ?—A large thing they call a rammer. 370. Do you know the weight of those rammers ?—They are heavy. 371. Were the boys able to lift them ?—One boy could not; at least so as to use it. - 372. What was the mode pursued ?—Two boys used to be put to one ram¬ mer ; they were obliged to stand upon the edge of the box, and two of them use one rammer; they were not tall enough without standing upon the box. 373. Are you aware whether the boys had any extra allowance of food for do¬ ing this work ?—The boys sometimes applied to McDougal to give them a little food, as they had been working so hard, and he would now and then give them an extra allowance of bread. 374. Are you aware that the master of the workhouse is not empowered to give any extra allowance to any of the paupers by the rules of the Commis¬ sioners ? — I am aware by the rules of the Commissioners he is not. 375. At the time those boys were employed in summer, were the men who were regularly employed during the other periods of the year in the gardens at work ?—I do not think there were a great many able-bodied men in the house in summer, and those were generally at work in the garden. 376. Was there an inquiry instituted by Mr. Parker, the late Assistant Com¬ missioner, relative to those bones ? — Yes. 377. Was that a public inquiry?—I should say not. 378. I)o you know the date of the inquiry ?—No. 379. Was anything done by the Board of Guardians in consequence of your inquiry after you had made this investigation with the medical men and one or two of the guardians; were any steps taken by the Board upon your report ?— I proposed that these men should be examined by the guardians, and the evidence forwarded to the Commissioners, with the request that they would make an inquiry into it. 380. Was that approved of ?—No. 381. Are you aware whether that proposition of yours appears in the minute book ?—No, I am not. 382. Did you bring that specifically in the form of a regular motion before the Board, or only in a conversational way ?—I brought it forward in the same way I have many others; I have stated I beg to propose such a resolution, and I have found often that the Board were decidedly against me, and I very often °-45—!• therefore