Mark’s History: Bramley Union Workhouse in Armley

By
westleedslife
-
3
4878
Photo: Mark Stevenson

I have often wondered why the Bramley Union Workhouse on Green Hill Road in Armley is not called Armley Union Workhouse, writes Mark Stevenson.

The workhouse opened in 1871/2 and it is quite possible that Ann Greaves of Horsforth was working there from its opening.

The 1881 census has Ann (aged 30) down as working at the workhouse as a Domestic Nurse. Ann is still there in 1901 as a Work House Hospital Nurse.

Historic; The porter’s lodge at St Mary’s Hospital, Armley. Photo: Mark Stevenson

In 1881 148 people were on the census as Residents of Bramley Union Workhouse, eight of whom were the staff. 

Below is a list of the residents and staff. Any spelling mistakes are because Victorian handwriting is hard to read.

ForenameSurnameAgeBornRelationBirth PlaceOccupation
JeffreyWatson391842MasterNorthumberlandMaster of Workhouse
Mary Watson321849MasterNorthumberlandMatron of Workhouse
Mary AnnRodgers341847School MistressLeedsSchool Mistress
EmmaCrowther301851CookHolbeckCook Domestic
AnnGreaves301851NurseHorsforthNurse Domestic
JohnWilson371844PorterAberdeenPorter In Workhouse
ElizabethWilson271854PortressPorter In Workhouse
ElizabethWilson9 M1881DaughterArmley
MaryAtkinson711810InmateArmley
JosephThornton121869InmateArmley
GeorgeBlackburn441837InmateArmleyCloth Weaver
WilliamBraithwaite451836InmateArmleyCloth Weaver
JohnBoynton741807InmateArmleyCarrier
JosephBurnett681813InmateArmleyCloth Weaver
WilliamClayton561825InmateRichmondFarm Labourer
CatherineEdwards551826VagrantIrelandCharwoman
WilliamHucklisby701811InmateWortleyCloth Weaver
JohnHolt771804InmateLancashireCloth Weaver
JohnHoldsworth681813InmateWortleyWheelwright
WilliamWheater891792InmateWortleyCloth Weaver
WilliamWray421839InmateArmleyLabourer Cartman
JamesPrince801801InmateArmleyStriker
JohnRipley871794InmateLeedsShoemaker
GeorgeRookes771804InmateArmleyCloth Dresser
JohnSecker741807InmateDewsburyFarm Labourer
SarahStead421839InmateWortleyCharwoman
MargaretStrother681813InmateLeedsSewer
HannahShaw571824InmateCheshireHawker
JosephSowery771804InmateArmleyShoemaker
JosephThornton121869InmateArmley
SusannahRaper521829InmateArmley
GeorgeGreaves491832InmateArmleyFarm Labourer
JosephLindell521829InmateArmleyCarrier
WilliamReet661815InmateIrelandWool Spinner
JosephBoynton561825InmateArmleyFarm Labourer
JohnLupton501831InmateKnaresboroughFarm Labourer
CatherineEdwards551826VagrantIrelandCharwoman
GeorgeSmith521829InmateGildersomeGeneral Labourer
JamesConnell461835VagrantIrelandGeneral Labourer
ThomasChild601821InmateNew WortleyGeneral Labourer
JohnWhite431838Vagrant
SamuelTrueman751806InmateLeedsNail Maker
JohnBurrell611820VagrantAlnwickPainter
BenjaminSykes751806InmateMortonCloth Weaver
GeorgeArdley161865VagrantYorkFarm Labourer
ThomasJefferson581823InmateDurhamShoemaker
GeorgeClarke321849VagrantStockportEngine Fitter
MaryLoftus1 M1881InmateMayo
ThomasSimpson391842VagrantLondonEngine Fitter
WilliamDrake751806InmateArmleyClothier
ThomasWilson631818VagrantRiponGeneral   Labourer
ArthurWiseman81873InmateLancashireScholar
JamesRelly601821VagrantIrelandGeneral Labourer
LouisaAckroyd301851InmateLeeds
GeorgeChatwood231858VagrantManchesterGeneral Labourer
NathanArmitage701811InmateBramleySlubber
ThomasKing281853VagrantSheffieldGeneral Labourer
JamesBurchinill431838InmateBramleyCloth Weaver
SamuelButler631818InmateBramleyCloth Weaver
GeorgeDixon451836InmateBramleyCloth Weaver
MaryFarrer761805InmateHorsforthKnotter
BenGatehouse111870InmateMorleyScholar
ElizabethHardcastle571824InmateBramleyCloth Weaver
HannahKaye351846InmateHorsforthCloth Weaver
AlfredKaye101871InmateBramleyScholar
WilliamLaverick661815InmateYorkFarm Labourer
JosephPickard751806InmateWortleyCloth Weaver
JosephRoss801801InmateBramleyCloth Weaver
WilliamRoss751806InmateBramley
AlfredStead131868InmateBramley
MaryBearley121869InmateBramley
JohnAndrews731808InmateSussexShoemaker
HenryCooper711810InmateDewsburyQuarryman
SarahMirfield481833InmateArmleyCharwoman
JosephBarnes511830InmateFarnleyGeneral Labourer
JosephJowitt121869InmateMorley
SamuelJowitt81873InmateFarnleyScholar
ElizaKershaw471834InmateBowlingGeneral Servant
AlbertHiggins251856InmateBradfordGeneral Labourer
JonathanGreen531828InmateGildersomeStriker
ReddickJackson121869InmateGildersome
ThomasTinsdale691812InmateHunsletFarm Labourer
SamuelMarshall791802InmateGildersomeCoal Miner
MaryWade441837InmateAdwaltonCloth Weaver
WilliamHarrison691812InmateBowlingCoal Miner
MaryLofthouse241857InmateArmleyRag Sorter
MaryClose661815InmateBlakeley
JamesBinns421839InmateSaleCloth Weaver
ElizabethPaley811800InmateYorkshireCloth Weaver
SarahAppleby381843InmateArmley
JaneAsquith741807InmateRipley
John Amos91872InmateWortleyScholar
MarkBlackburn791802InmateWakefieldGardener
AnnDavison721809InmateLow WortleyHawker
JamesEllis631818InmatePudseyTeazle Setter
GeorgeFairbank731808InmateLeedsTeazle Setter
ElizabethGarnett111870InmateFarnleyScholar
ElizabethHowden161865InmateWortleyScholar
MargaretEmma421839InmateWortleyCloth Weaver
ThomasLongbottom801801InmateArmleyCloth Weaver
ElizabethLongbottom481833InmateArmley
AnnLobley701811InmateWortleyCloth Weaver
AnthonyMc Goward721809InmateMayoMason’s Labourer
HodgsonRobinson261855InmateWortleyCoal Miner
EuniceSmith621819InmateGloucestershireCharwoman
EdwinSheldon81873InmateArmleyScholar
WilliamWhite91872InmateWortleyScholar
JonathanBrooke741807InmateBatleyCloth Weaver
JamesNaylor561825InmateBramleyCloth Weaver
ElizabethHick181863InmateWakefieldCharwoman
SusannahStead751806InmateAdlessayCharwoman
ThomasAtley681813InmateMartinGardener
ThomasSecker631818InmateWortleyFarm Labourer
GeorgeStafford581823InmateLeedsShoemaker
EstherStafford581823InmateCheshireCloth Weaver
StephensonDavison651816InmateLeedsFarm Labourer
EdwardKay711810InmateEssexMillWright
WilliamTurner751806InmateKirk HammertonCloth Dresser
JohnBarter731808InmateNorfolkMason’s Labourer
WilliamBlackburn641817InmateSheffieldFrench Polisher
JaneGrayson261855InmateArmleyServant Domestic
HannahGrayson21879InmateGarforth
JosephPotter601821InmateTadcasterMason
RichardSquire251856InmateLeedsMason’s Labourer
JohnTempest701811InmateMorleyWell Tinker
MosesWhittaker681813InmateWortleyCloth Weaver
WilliamFenton621819InmateWakefieldCoal Miner
HannahDuckett231858InmateLeedsServant
JohnWray641817InmateRudmontonFarm Labourer
JamesHartley621819InmateShropshireShoemaker
HarrySmith61875InmateManchester
CharlotteCastle211860InmateLeedsCloth Weaver
ElizabethHick431838WidowAberforthCharwoman
ClaraWatson241857UnmarriedLeedsServant
AnnWatson11880UnmarriedLeeds
WalterBuckton111870UnmarriedLeedsScholar
MayKeighley211860MarriedLeedsCloth Weaver
EmilyKeighley21879MarriedLeeds
AnnAvery631818MarriedSurreyHawker
AnnieAvery191862UnmarriedSurrey
PollyHopkinson171864UnmarriedStaffordshireCloth Weaver
AlfredBall511830WidowerSussexInsurance Agent
William Ball61875New WortleyScholar
Thomas AlfredBall41877New WortleyScholar
Grace AnnBuckton161865InmateLeedsServant
SarahPybus791802InmateBaldon MoorCharwoman
AlbertNewson111870InmateScholar
ElizabethAbbott71874InmateLeedsScholar

Please support independent community led journalism in West Leeds…

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

3 COMMENTS

  1. Mark,
    It was called Bramley Union as it was a union of Bramley, Armley, Gildersome, Farnley and Wortley townships (why Bramley was named first I can only presume is at the time they were the larger member of the Union). A full (?) history of the Bramley Union Workhouse can be found here: http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Bramley/

  2. Rachel Reeve, still continues to meet “with” people. Such a shame a British MP, wishes to continue her Americanisation of language.
    We “meet people”. The ‘with” is both superfluous and redundant. Yet she persists sadly, with this Americanisation…

    • Dear Alan,
      It’s great to see someone taking the English language seriously, but I’m not sure what this has to do with a history piece on Bramley Workhouse?
      And also an irony in a post where you’re criticising other people’s grammar and word usage, that you have misspelt the MP’s name (it’s Reeves, not ‘Reeve’), there’s a rogue comma after the word ‘MP’ and I think you need to look at your use of commas around the word ‘sadly’.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.