Appendices l. Appendix 4. The Boston Workhouse Rules of Management, 1739

Transcription

1 of binding out into good Famiies the Chidren of such, as where the parents are rated nothing; provided such Persons are not rated for their persona Estate or Facuty. And for as much as there is great Negigence in sundry Persons as to the instructing and educating their Chidren, to the great Scanda of the Christian Name and of dangerous Consequence to the rising Generation[:] Be it further enacted, That where Persons bring up their Chidren in such gross Ignorance, that they do not know, or are not abe to distinguish the Aphabet or twenty-four Letters at the Age of six Years,... the Overseers... are hereby impowered and directed to put or bind out into good Famiies, such Chidren, for a decent and Christian Education, as when Parents are indigent and rated nothing to the pubic Taxes; uness the Chidren are judged uncapabe, through some inevitabe infirmity. [The] Assignation of each Ward to the immediate Care of a particuar Overseer wi give the Overseers Opportunity of a more exact Knowedge of the Town, and a Intruders into it the aforesaid Overseers are impowered to warn any and a who are not Inhabitants, to depart the Town. Appendix 4 The Boston Workhouse Rues of Management, 1739 The foowing are the reguations that were drawn up by the Overseers of the Poor under the authority of the 1735 Workhouse Act. These were presented to a committee of the Town Meeting and amended and passed by the Town Meeting of October 12, The text is in manuscript in Overseers, box 13, foder 1, and in pubished form in the Boston Records 12: According to Wiberey, 90, these are the ony surviving detaied workhouse reguations from the coonia period. Whie detais of the Workhouse popuation do not exist, as they do for the Amshouse, the Workhouse rues offer a rare gimpse into the behaviora standards and the operationa regimen of an eighteenth-century American workhouse that was intended to empoy gainfuy the chronicay unempoyed or unempoyabe, and to correct and rehabiitate the ide poor. It is not known how much, if any, of the corpora punishment noted here was ever carried out. This is a sighty abridged copy of the Rues and Orders: Rues and Orders for the Management of Workhouse atey Erected in the Town of Boston; for Empoying and Maintaining the Ide and Poor, beonging to said Town. Labor improbus omnia vincit The Genera Method [Contents] 974

2 RULES AND ORDERS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WORK HOUSE IN BOSTON I Rues reating to the Overseers of the Poor who, by Law have the Direction of the said House. 1. That there sha be a Genera Meeting of the Overseers at the House, the third Tuesday of every Month, at three O Cock in the Afternoon, to inspect a Accounts, and examin [sic] into the Behaviour of the Peope committed to the House, and their own Officers and Servants, and to redress a Difficuties that occur to the Master, and to consider a Compaints Made by the Poor, and to consut and advise about such further Rues and Methods as may be for the advantage of said House. 2. That a Committee of the Overseers, consisting of Three (Two of which are impowered to act) take the more immediate Inspection of the House for one month by turns. II Rues reating to the Master and Mistress of the House. 1. That the Master and Mistress be Persons of approv d Integrity and Abiity, Who sha be chosen annuay [T]he Overseers sha have Power to Agree with [them] for their Yeary Saaries: But if the Master and Mistress be found guity of immora or irreguar behaviour, the Overseers [can] dismiss them, and pace others in their room. 2. That the Master keep a Register of the Names, Ages, Occupations and Paces of Nativity, and of their ast abode, of a Persons Admitted into the House, as we as an Account of the Time of their Entry and of their Deaths or Dismission from the House. 3. That the Master keep the Gates, at a times, we Secured And if any be desirous to see, or speak with any Persons committed to the House, the Doorkeeper is not to ca them, Without eave: And if any Person be suspected of bringing in any strong Liquors, or carrying out any thing, beonging to the House, or any Person therein, the Doorkeeper is to stop them, and give notice to the Master, that so due Enquiry and Search may be made forthwith, and the Guity punished: But yet a such, as in an ordery way, woud see the House, sha be treated with proper Respect and Civiity, by the Master, and in his absence by the next officer of the House. 4. That Master at the Hours appointed for going to Bed, which in the Summer sha be at Ten O Cock, and in the Winter at Nine O Cock sha see a fires and Lights extinguished, Excepting what sha be absoutey necessary, and that these be eft under proper care. 5. That the Mistress take care that the Victuas be we and reasonaby Dress d, the Bread and Beer prepared according to the Direction of the Overseers; that the Rooms be Swept, and Beds made every Day; that the Windows be frequenty Opened for Airing the House; that the House sha be Washed, as often as sha be judg d 975

3 necessary; that the Tabe-Linnen, Dishes &c, be cean; that the Peope be kept cean and neat in their Appare, and have cean Linnen to Shift Once every Week, and the Beds Shifted Once a Month in the Summer Season. 6. That the Master buy the Provisions, and Materias for Work, and other Necessaries; and dispose of what is Manufactured, to the best advantage, according to the Advice and Directions of the Overseers. 7. That the Master keep Books of Accounts of a Expences, and Profits of the House, to be Pass d upon, and aowed by the Overseers to be Open to the Inspection of the Town, whenever they sha see cause to appoint a Committee. That the first Book contain An Inventory of a Furniture, Linnen and Wooen Coathing bought, and of the necessary Utensis beonging to said House, with an Account how they are disposed of. That the next Book Contain An Account of a the Provisions &c bought; as aso the Quantities of each Sort Expended every Day, and of the Number of Persons provided for, each Day. And that the ast Book contain An Account of a the Stock, and Materias for Carrying on the Work of the House, which has been purchased, or sent to be manufactored, as aso the Names of the Persons by whom sent; with an Account how such Goods are disposed of, and the Profits arising on the same. 8. That the Master and Mistress be Obiged to Observe such further Rues... made by the Overseers... Agreeabe to the Law of the Province. III. Rues reating to the Persons that sha be Admitted into the House. 1. That None sha be Admitted without a written Order, under the Hand of One or more of the Overseers. 2. That upon their Admission, they be Examin d, Whether they are free from Lice and fou Distemper; And such as sha not be found cean, sha be put into some particuar Room, ti they be perfecty ceans d: And that they be Obiged to take Care to keep themseves Wash d and Comb d, and their Coathes neat and whoe, and to Change their Linnen Once a Week. 3. That they Severa Persons in the House constanty Repair at the stated Hours to their proper Apartments: where they sha work ordery at such Business, and so many Hours as the Overseers sha direct. 4. That they constanty attend the Worship of God, in the House and observe the Rues prescribed for their Meas. 5. That when any Chidren sha be Received into the House, there sha be some suitabe Women appointed to attend them; Who are to take Care that they are Wash d, Comb d and Dressed every Morning, and be Taught to Read, and Instructed in the Hoy Scriptures and Assembies Catechism,...And that the rest of their Time be empoy d in such Work as sha be Assigned them; And when they arrive to a sutabe [sic] Age They sha be Bound out into good Famiies, as the Law directs. 6. That when any Persons are taken Sick, they sha be removed into the Ams-House, 976

4 if it be done with Safety, and be put under the Care of said House ti further Order: But if a remova sha be judg d dangerous, then they sha have a Nurse and the Town s Physician to attend them, where they are. IV. Rues reating to the Work and Empoyment of the Peope in the House. 1. That the Be sha be rung every Morning to ca the Famiy up; and such Persons as are abe, sha repair to the severa Paces appointed for them to do their work in, and sha be kept diigenty at work from Such Hours in the Morning, to such Hours in the Evening, as the Overseers sha from time to time direct; Excepting so much time as sha be aow d for Meas, and Reigious Worship. 2. That the common Work of the House be Picking of Oakum, Uness for such Trades-Men, whose Business may be we accomodated [sic] in the House, and it sha be judged more profitabe to empoy them in their proper Trades; Such as Tayors, Shoemakers, Mopmakers, Naiers &c. And that such of the Women as are capabe, be empoy d in Carding, and Spinning Woo, Fax, Yarn for Mops, and Cotton Yarn for Candewick, Knitting, Sewing &c. But that these things be determined and reguated by the Overseers, or their Committee. 3. That Whereas the Poverty and Ruin of many Famiies is often Owing to the Ideness and Viscious Courses of one of the Heads of it, more particuary of the Masters, Who may have been bred to some good Trade, that by Industry woud comfortaby support them, the rest of the Famiy being Industrious, and in a capacity of Earning something considerabe towards their own Support, so that it might be judg d proper to order said Persons up to the House and Empoy them there; In that case, An Account sha be kept of their Earnings, and after a reasonabe deduction for their Maintenance in the House, the Overpus sha be appied to the Support of their Famiy in such Ways and Methods, as the Overseers or their Committee sha direct. V. Rues reating to the Diet and Victuaing of the House, and the proper Seasons thereof. 1. That the Overseers sha as often as they judge necessary Agree upon the Diet of the House, to be continued ti further Order to the Master for his direction. 2. That the Hour of Dining be Tweve a Cock, at which time the Peope of the House sha a be caed together, and Dine in one room (if it wi contain them) having their Tabes cover d with sutabe Coths, Dishes Trenchers &c. and the Commons for the Day, as directed by the Overseers: That None be aowed to Dine in their separate rooms, uness in case of indisposition: But that as to their Breakfast and Supper, it may be diivered to them out of the Kitchen, between the Hours of Eight to Nine in the Morning, and of Six and Seven in the Evening. 3. That they be aowed from the Hour of Tweve to One for the time of Dining: and that from Eight to Nine in the Morning, and from Six to Seven in the Evening, be aowed for the other Mea times, and for Attendance on Divine Worship. 977

5 VI. Rues reating to the Reigious Worship of the House. 1. That the Master every Morning... and every Evening... Ca the Peope together, and Read a sutabe portion of the Hoy Scriptures to them, and Pray with them; And as often as they Eat togethe, Ask a Bessing, and return Thanks. 2. That he take especia Care, that the Sabbath be duy Observed; And besides the Morning and Evening Service, he sha be Obiged (unti other provision be made) to ca the whoe Famiy together, at east One part of the Day, and spend a sutabe portion of Time in Praying, Singing of Psams and Reading some practica discourses of Divinity, that sha be Appointed by the Overseers. VII. Rues reating to the Government of the House, both with and respect to Rewards and Punishments. 1. That a Immoraities and Disobedience to the Government of the House, and other Misbehaviour, be by the Master noted in a Book, and aid before the Overseers, or their Committee; that by their Authority and Admonition, such Rudeness and Immoraity may be restrained, and Peace and good Order maintained, and a obstinate, perverse and unruy Persons punished, according to their Crimes. 2. That such as sha duy Observe the fore-going Order, and faithfuy Perform their severa Tasks sha be Intited to One penny out of every Shiing they Earn, to be disposed of by the Overseers for their [inmates ] greater Comfort. 3. That Whereas some sothfu Persons may pretend Sickness or Lameness, to excuse themseves from Labour: It is Ordered, That such Persons sha pass a proper Examination by the Physician; And if it shoud Appear upon his Report and other concurring Circumstances that those Persons made fase Excuses they sha be punished by such an Addition of Labour To their daiy Stint or some other way, as the Overseers... sha determine. 4. That no Person presume to Smoke Tobacco in their Beds, On penaty of being denied Smoking for One week; And that if convicted a Second Time, He or She sha be punished as for other Misdemeanours. 5. That no Person presume to Beg Money, or any other thing, directy or indirecty, from any Person, that sha come to Visit the House, on penaty of being denied their next Mea. 6. That no Person presume to go out of the House without Liberty; And that every One who Obtains eave, sha return in good Order, at the time appointed, On penaty of being denied going out for One Month for the first Offence, and for Three Months for every Offence afterwards. 7. That no Person sha Negect to repair to their proper paces for Work; Or being there, sha refuse to work, oiter or be ide; Or sha not we perform the Task of work set them; Or sha waste or spoi any of the Materias, or Tooes of the severa Manufactures; Or sha deface the Was, or break the Windows, Or sha distirb the House by Camour, Quareing or Fighting or abusive Language; Or sha bring any 978

6 strong Liquors into the House without Leave; Or sha be Absent from Divine Service without reasonabe Excuse; Or prophane the Sabbath; Or carry it disrespectfuy to their Governours; Or sha be Guity of Lying, or wanton and ascivious Behaviour; Or sha Drink to Excess, Stea or prophaney Curse and Swear; Or in any Other respect Act immoray or irreguary, they sha be Punished, either by denying them a Mea, or Whoe days aowance, or by Gaging, or causing them to wear a Coar round about their Necks with a wooden Cog to it, or by Obiging them to stand on a Stoo in a pubick Pace, with a Paper fix d on their Breast, denoting their Crime in Capitas, for the space of One Hour, Or by Ordering them into a Dungeon to be kept with Bread and Water, not exceeding Forty Eight Hours, Or by an Addition of Labour to their daiy Task, according to the nature and circumstance of the Crime; and in Case of frequent repetition and Obstinancy in their Crimes, they sha be Punished by Order of One or more Justices of the Peace, by remova into Bridewe, or otherwise as the Law directs. 8. That the Committee of Overseers, at their Weeky Meeting, have Power to punish a breaches of the foregoing Orders, Excepting those that are referred to the Cognizance of a Justice of Peace: And in a such Cases a Majority of the Overseers sha be caed together. 9. That the Master of the House have Power, in the intervas between the Meetings of the Committee of the Overseers, to punish the breaches of the foregoing Orders, according to the Instructions he sha receive in writing from the Overseers or Directors of the House from time to time; And that in the Cases of Difficuty Arising, which may need a more speedy Consideration, he sha ca the Committee together for their Advice and Assistance. 10. That if any Person in the House sha discover any other Person who sha be Guity of any of the foregoing Offences, Such Person sha receive some such Reward or Incouragement as sha be Ordered by the Overseers or their Committee: And, if any Person sha know of any of the Offences aforesaid, and doth not discover the same, Such Person sha be Punished according to the discretion of the Overseers. 11. That the foregoing Rues and Orders of the House be pubicky Read, every Monday Morning, that none may pead or pretend Ignorance of them. THE END 979