Workhouse graffiti

Deciphering the marks made by inmates

Look carefully at the workhouse building and you might see the marks left by workhouse inmates.  Was this the inmate's way of being remembered, or of fighting back against the system?

Most of the graffiti is located in what was once the boy's exercise yard.  In this part of the workhouse, there are several examples of initials and full surnames, sometimes with dates.  Thanks to the museum's research team, some of these names have been matched to entries in the workhouse archives.

To discover more about the graffiti discovered on the walls of Gressenhall workhouse, download a copy of the full report. (PDF) [7MB]

G. White

23 July 1855 - Board of Guardians Minute Books 

"George White belonging to Scarning and Elijah Holiday belonging to Wendling, two boys maintained in the Union Workhouse are this day brought before the Board by Mr. Harrison the Master charged with having absconded from the Union Workhouse by climbing over the wall and having taken with them the Workhouse Clothes and gone to Lynn, Norwich and other places.  Ordered that the said George White and Elijah Holiday be punished by being kept on Bread and Water diet pursuant to the regulations of the Poor Law Board for the space of 48 hours during the next 4 days."

A. Dungar

27 August 1883 - Board of Guardians Minute Books

"Resolved that in consequence of misbehaviour of Arthur Dungar an inmate of the Workhouse he be not allowed to accompany the other inmates to Yarmouth."

A. Jery

15 October 1844 - Gressenhall V. A. School Log Book 1875 to 1896

"Punished Alb. Jery for throwing a potato covered with treacle at the classroom wall"