The surviving minute books of the Magherafelt workhouse provide interesting insights into the furnishing of the workhouse and how the guardians prepared for its official opening.
While the comforts of the guardians were amongst the first purchases it did not appear over-elaborate and was in line with other workhouses which were being established at the same time. Forty-one chairs were purchased for the boardroom which was used on a weekly basis for the guardians. This room looked down on the entrance and much of the grounds of the workhouse, making it an imposing building for one and all.
Perhaps the most important consideration was the supply of a variety of products to the workhouse which would be necessary for its daily upkeep and amongst those who were successful in the first year of its operation were: Margaret McLernon of Magherafelt (Bread), Thomas McFall of Magherafelt (Potatoes, new milk, oatmeal, oat straw, and clipped candles), James McGowan and Thomas A. Dixon (buttermilk) and William Gaussen (coal). This is an often-overlooked aspect of workhouse history in that it was a major boom for the local economy, especially when the number of ‘inmates’ was high.
