Shadows of the Workhouse

In the 1950s, Jennifer Worth was a district midwife in East London. She worked with an order of nursing nuns, learning how to cope with midwifery in slum conditions. In the course of her training she met many interesting characters, whose stories are told in this book. When the workhouse of Britain officially closed in 1930, there was nowhere for inmates to go. So workhouses merely changed their names and carried on much the same as before. The conditions, rules and lifestyle that continued to be endured by the residents cast their shadows and shame over most of the last century. From the tragic history of dithering Jane, to the larger than life Sister Monica Joan, "the naughtiest old lady" the author had never met, this is a collection of fascinating lives.