Straitjacket

People with mental illnesses were often treated very badly in the past. As there were very few asylums, those who weren’t locked up were looked after by their families or ended up in the terrible conditions of the workhouse. Workhouses took in those who were not capable of supporting themselves. Conditions in workhouses were often so bad that people would do almost anything to avoid them. This straitjacket came from Hardingstone Workhouse.

The very long sleeves covered the hands to prevent those wearing it from injuring themselves or others and could potentially be passed around the front of the body and tied at the back to restrain the patient. A straitjacket was seen as a simple means of constraining, in a non-injurious and safe way as an alternative to chains or other restraints. In reality, being immobilised in a straitjacket for hours or days on end was anything but harmless, violating the freedom and dignity of the wearer.

By the early 1830s the existing poor relief system was unable to cope so the New Poor Law Act came into effect in 1834. Northamptonshire was divided up into twelve poor law unions, which oversaw relief for the poor: Brackley, Brixworth, Daventry, Hardingstone, Kettering, Northampton, Oundle, Peterborough, Potterspury, Thrapston, Towcester and Wellingborough.

Hardingstone Union Workhouse was built in 1838 to 1839 at a cost of around £3,750. It was designed to house 130 people and the first were admitted on the 25 May 1840. Many of them were unemployed lace workers. The workhouse closed in 1925.

Number 72 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.