Bone-crushing hunger in Britain’s workhouses

We all know the story of Oliver Twist begging for ‘more’ in the workhouse. But were these institutions really as nasty, grim and brutal as Dickens depicts? In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. And in this episode, they revisit an investigation into dire workhouse conditions, exploring what it can reveal about attitudes to the poor at the time. History’s Greatest Scandals is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. There you can find other feeds including History’s Greatest Cities, History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, History’s Greatest Battles and HistoryExtra LongReads. Find out more at historyextra.com/podcast. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d. This episode was hosted by Ellie Cawthorne and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime minister. In the first series of History’s Greatest Scandals we’re delving into the murky underworld of the Victorians. Join journalist Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone, as they take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain. They’ll be sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, to uncover some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reveal about Victorian age.