A stark reality awaited women born without means in Victorian Southampton.

Often branded "fallen women," these individuals faced a society quick to judge and slow to offer support.

The rigid social structures of the era offered limited opportunities, and for many, the path to destitution was a slippery slope.

In the 1850s, a group of self-proclaimed moral guardians sought to address this perceived societal ill by establishing the County of Hants Female Penitentiary in the Kingsland area.

While not officially a workhouse, this institution served as a refuge for "destitute females," relying on the generosity of public donations and the financial backing of concerned citizens.

The very purpose of the penitentiary, as documented in local records from 1853, was to "reclaim and to afford an asylum for females, who, having deviated from the path of virtue, appear penitent and desirous of reform."

This language, while reflective of the era's judgmental tone, also hints at a glimmer of hope for these women.

The penitentiary proved so successful in its mission, or perhaps so necessary, that a second establishment, the Winchester Refuge for Fallen Women, opened its doors in Minster Street.

Both institutions operated for many years, their registers of inmates stretching back to the early 1830s, indicating how vital the ongoing need for such havens was.

Life within these walls, however, was far from easy.

The women were expected to contribute to the institution's upkeep through hard work.

A historical account describes their daily routine: "The inmates of the Institution shall be employed in washing, and in all the business of a laundry, together with needle and every sort of household work; and that the proceeds of their labour shall be applied towards current expenses."

Essentially, the penitentiaries functioned as self-sustaining businesses, with the women's labour at the core.

Another description paints a slightly more palatable picture: "The penitentiary, or refuge for destitute females, is a spacious and commodious building, with a handsome chapel attached to it, erected in front of Kingsland-place, and conducted on a plan well calculated to reclaim and restore to society unfortunate females, who are here accustomed to regular and industrious habits, and qualified for employment as servants."

This account emphasises the rehabilitation aspect, highlighting the development of skills that could potentially lead to future employment.

The harsh realities of Victorian working-class life contributed significantly to the circumstances that led women to these penitentiaries.

Girls often began working between the ages of eight and twelve, their employment continuing until marriage.

Excluded from well-paid professions, their options were severely limited. Approximately half of all working women were employed in domestic service, while the remainder toiled in unskilled factory jobs or as agricultural labourers.

Marriage offered a potential escape from this drudgery, but a woman's fate then rested entirely on her husband's shoulders. If his earnings were sufficient, she might cease working, but otherwise, she faced a lifetime of labour, punctuated only by childbirth.

For some women, desperation led them to prostitution. While widespread, many women working the streets considered themselves "casuals," resorting to such measures only when all other avenues were closed.

Even prominent figures like William Gladstone, the future prime minister, recognised the plight of these women, founding an association dedicated to their reclamation and seeking to offer them alternative employment.

The grim reality of sexually transmitted diseases further compounded the challenges faced by these women.

Workhouses, including the one in Southampton, maintained special wards for prostitutes suffering from such illnesses.

A chilling 1844 report from a visiting doctor described the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions of these wards, highlighting the lack of privacy and the potential for further transmission.

The report’s stark description of “double beds, in which two are placed in bed together” underscores the harsh and dehumanizing conditions.

Adding to the social stigma, history records the practice of dressing "women of infamous and thoroughly abandoned character" in distinctive yellow dresses.

This resulted in the female sections of workhouses being derisively nicknamed "canary wards," a stark reminder of the societal shame and ostracisation sadly faced by these women.