Whether it was 'the bastille', 'the spike', 'the work'us', or simply 'the house', the Victorian workhouse was the cause of dread and shame for thousands of men, women and children. The workhouse was the last resort, and the authorities intended that it should be seen as such. This book looks at the principles which lay behind the New Poor Law of 1834; at the design and construction of workhouses; and at the lives of those who entered them, either as officers or as paupers. About the author Trevor May is a freelance writer and lectures; he is the author of ten books on economic and social history. Other titles for Shire by this author are: Military Barracks The Victorian Domestic Servant, The Victorian Schoolroom The Victorian Railway Worker Victorian and Edwardian Horse Cabs The Victorian Undertaker.