‘Oliver Twist’ the noted orphan from the 1838 novel by Charles Dickens, gave notability to such a phrase, when he wanted more to eat. Sadly for Oliver he was an orphan and living in the infamous ‘Workhouse’.
The workhouse was by design, a last resort for people who’d fallen on hard times in England and in general it was dismal and depressing. An inmate’s basic needs for food and shelter were met but they had to give back (within their abilities) for their care. There was a further up side to the workhouse and that was medical care. My ancestor Eleanor Ashbee (born Cooper) 74, passed away in the workhouse at Croydon, Surrey on April 21 1878. Her cause of death was noted as ‘decay’ which is a euphemism wasting away as she was old and failing.
