By the early 1890s the biggest challenge facing the master and his staff on a daily basis was the menace of wandering ‘tramps’ who went between a host of northern workhouses seeking admission. In order to overcome the problem, the Magherafelt guardians decided to correspond with their counterparts in Cookstown in order to keep a register of names of frequent visitors. Under the regulations, ‘tramps’ were required to do at least three hours work during each day of their stay in the workhouse, but once admitted it was often difficult to adhere to such regulations. In 1910 a tramp in the workhouse described by one newspaper editor as a ‘Knight of the Road’ was imprisoned for one month with hard labour for refusing to pick ‘oakum’ as was required.
Other aspects of life in the workhouse in the 1890s make for interesting reading. Although almost entirely meant for medicinal purposes, the consumption of alcohol was a weekly consideration for the master, his staff and the guardians. Every unit of alcohol had to be accounted for and carefully noted by the clerk in the returns furnished to the government and the Poor Law Commissioners. In 1891 for example a report on this topic noted that 424 pints of whiskey, 120 pints of wine, and 70.5 gallons of malt liquor had been consumed in the workhouse that year. While this was standard practice in all workhouses, it should be noted that there were only 165 ‘inmates’ present that year. In other areas new contracts were granted to suppliers including to Wesley McGuckian, for new milk; Joe Palmer for buttermilk, and Robert Stewart for butter.
By this time the guardians were also looking at other revenues streams apart from the rates and the workhouse farm. All around the workhouse the grounds were surrounded with trees which had matured and were ready for harvesting. These included the small beech trees which were located to the right of the entrance and some which surrounded the graveyards. During this time the workhouse was painted by James Bradley of Magherafelt, a considerable undertaking given the size of the premises.
With numbers dwindling in the house, concern at this time largely centred on the state of the fever hospital and infirmary as the guardians were anxious that ‘inmates’ would be properly cared for and most importantly the annual government report would reflect favourably on them. Yet remarkably at times in the early 1890s the care of those in the infirmary were left to a nurse and a 65-year-old ‘inmate’ who was described as ‘deaf’. To help them clocks were added to the wards in order that medicines could be given regularly.
