Just been watching Secrets of the Workhouse and its brought back a lot of memories of my grandmothers stories of old Blaenllechau and her lifetime terror of the workhouse. Her mother my great grandmother died in 1891 when my grandmother Gwen was eight, also leaving a six year old girl Blodwen and an eighteen month old baby Bryn. Gwen had to leave school to keep house and look after her father, grandfather, who were working in the pit and manage the children. I remember her telling me that there barely enough to live on and many times she had to hide any money she could from her father. In those terrible times there was always a public house that was willing to take the wages from the collier, she never said that her father was a drunk, but reading between the lines there were times when she had to use her wits. Im sure at the age of eight she relied on good neighbours to help, and it made her the person she became always ready to help others, but she always spoke of the horrors of going into the workhouse and watching that program made me feel so grateful that they survived that indignity because of the people and community of Blaenllechau as did many of that time. Thanks x
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 22:26:18 +0000
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