Taken from a newspaper printed in   1865.   Buckingham, England.

CHRISTMAS IN THE WORKHOUSE

On Christmas day the poor in the workhouse, through the kindness of the board of guardians, had the usual Christmas cheer of roast beef and plum-pudding and ale for the dinner: those who chose smoked afterwards.     Abel Smith, Esq. MP,  and Lady Susan Smith have visited the Union and distributed gifts of tea and sugar:  the Rev. T Lander and Mrs Lander have done the same; and Mrs Allen of West-street, gave tea, sugar, tobacco and snuff.

CHRISTMAS IN GAOL

On Christmas day the Sheriff’s debtors according to the usual custom and by the liberality of the High Sheriff , Sir A.P.Cooper, had plum pudding and roast beef;  but no difference was made with regard to the criminal prisoners, who had the ordinary fare and spent the day like an ordinary Sunday:  This is as it should be everywhere; for it is but right that some distinction should be made between criminals and the honest poor.

My footnote.

The Good Old Days…  Or was it?

Just been trawling through the old newspapers again.

Good old Mrs Allen of West-street gets a few more mentions over the years, giving out her presents of  snuff to the Workhouse inmates.       I shall raise my glass to her on Christmas Day.  

Times sure have changed.  I read of hospital inmates during WW1 being given free snuff and tobacco, and also a Member of Parliament in WW2 proposing tax free snuff and tobacco for any of the armed forces stationed on The Orkney’s or The Outer Hebrides. 

 It must be grim there if a politician actually  proposed tax relief on tobacco, and the subsequent loss of revenue.