Background to the Project

Between 1777 and 1948, Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse – now Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse – was home to some of the most vulnerable people in rural Norfolk. Its purpose was to provide accommodation, food and work for ‘paupers’ who did not have enough money provide for themselves.

When the workhouse system was nationalised in 1834, conditions were designed to discourage people from seeking assistance unless they had no other options. This meant long hours spent working, a limited diet, and inmates being separates by ‘class’, such as men, women, children, and elderly, sick or disabled inmates.

In Victorian Society, having a child outside of marriage was highly stigmatised and this prejudice fed into the workhouse system. Single mothers were further separated out, being made to live in their own accommodation and work in separate yards, away from the other ‘respectable’ women.

Why the Jackets?

Across the country, workhouse guardians sometimes chose to mark out unmarried mothers through their dress. They were usually excluded from the rare treats offered at the workhouse such as Christmas dinner.

Although this practice officially ended in 1847, it quietly continued at Gressenhall until as late as 1868. Single mothers became known as the Jacket Women due to the distinctive jacket worn as part of their uniform. The yard they lived and worked in became known as the Jacketers’ Yard. 

Having been a lone parent myself , the story resonated deeply. I invited other single parents to model for the pieces and chose a number of poses inspired by the emotionally rich work of German dance choreographer Pina Bausch (1940-2009).

Techniques used include monoprint, drypoint and etching on fragile paper that is reminiscent of skin. I have also created a series of 3D Jackets that represent the diverse circumstances that might have led women to the workhouse.I am also experimenting with the process of eco-printing using plants foraged on the museum site. Eco-printing involves soaking and steaming plant matter to release natural pigments and shapes onto paper