The Paupers' Revenge

or

The Workhouse Scandal

an historical musical
by
young people of Andover

Prologue
In the Museum a school party has arrived; the Curator is telling the children about life in Andover 150 years ago.

Curator
..and such is the kind of life that the lower classes had to tolerate. But if you follow me I'll show you how wealth was manifest in the lives of the upper classes...this way please!

Teacher
Come on, children!

Narrators
Wait a minute!
[the characters in the Museum's display begin to tell the story...]
Try to imagine Andover then -
travellers stopping at coaching inns,
a prosperous town, much activity,
the new Guildhall has just been built.
People, proud of their town,
meet at market to gossip,
rich and poor alike.
Then one day...

Scene One
Outside the Andover Guildhall, ca.1830

Townsfolk
Look at the soldiers back from the war
red tunics, black hats,
gold buttons, shining boots;
look at them marching down the street
so handsome and smart!
Welcome the heroes home
after fighting so bravely
for so many years.
Back to their families -
they're back with their families
for once and for all!

Narrators
Mothers hug their sons,
sisters greet their brothers.
Fathers meet their children
for the first time:
there was so much to talk about!

Soldiers
Glory to the Lord our strength
who saved the day for England!
We fought in battle,
with swords and shields
We went to sea
and shot our guns,
Victory for England!
Victory for England!

Scene Two
At a factory near Andover, a few months later

Narrators
These were unsettled times;
the population grew
and work became scarce
what were the poor to do?
We dwelt in our villages,
lived off the parishes,
the squires were unhappy
for they had to feed us.
Our fathers looked for work,
but there was none.

Soldiers
They said: well done!
welcome back!
you've done us proud!
Then we found out
while we'd been gone
things had moved on -
machines had taken
our living away.

No work!
Get rid of these machines!
Let's smash them up
burn the place down!

Watch
(trying to make himself heard)
Hear ye! Hear ye!
Silence! Our Sovereign Lord the King
chargeth and commandeth
all persons being assembled
immediately to disperse themselves
and peacefully to depart to their habitations
or to their lawful business
upon the pains contained in the act
made in the first year of King George
for preventing too much riotous assemblies.
God save the King!

(There is riot during which buildings and machinery are damaged)




Scene Three
an evening in Andover: 1837

Narrators
A few years later Mr Heath the Mayor was performing a solemn duty:

Heath
I hereby declare that this Gaslamp,
the first in the Town, be lit.

Dodson
Let us now sing a hymn.

All
Praise be to the Lord above
who changed our darkness into light.
Come forth toward the Beacon's flame
and it will burn all through the night:
never to extinguish!
Never to cease shining!

Dodson
O Lord our Father
who helpeth the poor,
the humble and the meek,
grant that this lantern will be a sign
to lighten the path of progress
for all unfortunate people. Amen.

Narrators
The rich had grown richer
the Industrial Revolution,
as you well know,
was well under way:
the Southampton to Andover shipping canal
was backed by the family Heath,
who were bankers.
But the new fangled railways
were being established...

(A Barn dance is being played)

Heath
What if the railway came to Andover?
That would lose money for our bank
and life would change completely.

Mrs Heath
Times change fast for everyone, now.

(A stately dance is now played)

Martha Gale
My plans for the grammar school
are progressing superbly,
but the poor must be desperate;
the parishes no longer feed them.


Dodson
The Poor Law Commission
has invented a system
a workhouse where they can go.
There they'll find food, work and shelter.

Mrs Heath and Emma
What a blessing that'd turn out to be!

Heath
As mayor I think it's important
to build the Workhouse
away from the town:
here we have problems already.

Dodson
A site's been proposed
at Bishop's Court Lane.
A Board of Guardians
will govern the workhouse
and I've been appointed their Chairman.

(The Barn Dance is heard again)

Now we're looking for someone to run it -
I think a Sergeant would do.

Heath
Make sure he's strict...

Mrs Heath and Emma
Make sure he's kind...


Scene Four
Outside the Andover Workhouse, winter

Children in the Workhouse
Why are we here?
We're so sad
We're not bad
Will we survive here?
Will we die here?

Parents in the Workhouse
Please don't cry, don't ask why
it's winter soon
and we are doomed
to freeze and starve and work and die.

Narrators
The Guardians of Andover's Workhouse
with Dodson the Vicar their Chairman
have appointed a sergeant as Warden. McDougal's is a ruthless regime
of military discipline, cruel hard work.
And where is the food
that's meant for the poor?
Where is the money
that was destined to help them?
The Warden and Mrs McDougal the Matron,
loyal servants of England,
think they deserve a bit extra...
The Guardians turn a blind eye
to what's happening...

Guardians
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
On we will go and won't retreat.
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
On we will go and won't retreat.
No, by our chairman we will stand
Gi'en all the reason in the land.
We've got no ears for paupers' groans,
what signifies their gnawin' bones?
What matters what be Workhouse meat!
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
We won't retreat! We won't retreat!
On we will go, we won't be beat!

Narrators
...besides, they say,
the poor are lucky to live..
but are they alive?
Are they really alive?

McDougal
Get in the workhouse you lazy lot
Grind those bones
'till your own bones break!
Get to work!

Mr & Mrs McDougal
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
On we will go and won't retreat.
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
On we will go and won't retreat.
No, by our chairman we will stand
Gi'en all the reason in the land.
We've got no ears for paupers' groans,
what signifies their gnawin' bones?
What matters what be Workhouse meat!
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
We won't retreat! We won't retreat!
On we will go, we won't be beat!

Inmates
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
On we will go and won't retreat.
We need to eat! We need to eat!
What we would do for a piece of meat!
We think it's time to make a stand,
tell our story 'cross the land,
make 'em listen to our groans:
they've never had to gnaw at bones.
We won't be beat! We won't be beat!
On we will go and won't retreat.
We need to eat! We need to eat!
What we would do for a piece of meat!


Scene Five
The Inquiry into the Workhouse Scandal

Narrators
The Scandal broke!
Hugh Mundy Esquire,
a prosperous farmer,
cared for the poor
and decided that he must investigate
stories of men in the bone-yard...
He asked his MP to ask questions.
The Times had been running a long campaign
and reported the story in full.
A Public Inquiry was ordered in Parliament ...
a dozen paupers appeared
to give evidence in the House of Commons...
The Scandal broke!

The Committee
What time were you locked up at night?

Witnesses
Eight o'clock

The Committee
Was there any bedding?

Witnesses
No. Only straw mats to lie on.
No blankets. No pillows.

The Committee
What was the work you did?

Witnesses
Breaking bones.

The Committee
Did you refuse to work?

Witnesses
Yes, but McDougal sent for the Beadle.

The Committee
Did he send you to prison?

Witnesses
Yes.

The Committee
Were any men ill?

Witnesses
Yes. And starving. And our hands used to bleed from grinding the bones.

The Committee
What happened to the bones that were ground?

Witnesses
Sold as fertilizer.

The Committee
Who kept the proceeds?

Witnesses
McDougal of course.
He and his wife fed themselves more!
Left us to starve...
...so we gnawed at the bones...

The Committee
You gnawed at the bones?

Witnesses
We gnawed at the bones...

The Committee
For shame! For shame!
For shame! For shame!

Narrators
So the Inquiry exposed what was wrong
with the Poor Law Act.
The press were delighted:

The Press
Get rid of it! Get rid of it!
We cannot imagine
how the Government can hesitate
to abolish the Commissioners...
Get rid of them! Get rid of them!
...we tremble at the results of our own curiosity!

Narrators
The Committee found...

The Committee
...that McDougal's conduct was too severe, to say the least
...that he was often drunk,
...that he was not at all fair or impartial,
...that he was dishonest, bad tempered, and abusive
...that he and his wife were utterly unfit for their posts...
...that the Andover Workhouse was poorly governed by its Board of Guardians with Dodson the Vicar in charge....

(a pause)

One of the Narrators
Is that all?

(everybody laughs)

Epilogue
In the Museum, 1998

Curator
...so in July 1847 the Poor Law Commission finally expired and in the very same week so did the proprietor of The Times newspaper which had campaigned so hard on behalf of the poor.

After the Inquiry life in the workhouse got no better. The Guardians never forgave the paupers for having exposed them, so they oppressed them as brutally as ever. The pounding of bones may have stopped - but instead the inmates were forced to break flints which were even harder...

Narrators
Well said, young man!
(to the others)
So there you have it!

Curator (carrying on)
...Dodson the Vicar continued in charge until he died many years later...

Narrators
That was life here when we were young.
Some of us lived to grow old and wise,
but some of us died by the wayside.

Children
You mean some of you are....?

Narrators
We're real all right!
The past is the Truth you know,
nothing can change that:
Nothing is really forgotten.

Teacher
Come on then, children, let's be off.
Wasn't that interesting?
Are we all here?
Good gracious!
There seem to be more of you ...
I must be imagining it...
Goodbye, Curator.
We've had a good time!

Children
Time did you say? What time?...

---

# The Paupers' Revenge02/04/01