This is the regulations for the diet of workhouse inmates agreed by the Eton Board of Guardians on the 8th June 1835.
Aged & Infirm | Breakfast | 6 oz bread 1 pint skimmed milk or gruel |
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Dinner | Tue, Thurs & Sat | 4oz bread 2oz flour made into a pudding. 1 ½ pint soup ½ pint small beer |
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Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun | 4oz bread 6oz meat vegetables ½ pint small beer |
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Supper | 6oz bread 2oz cheese or 1 ½ pint small beer |
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Able bodied | Breakfast | 6 oz bread 1 pint skimmed milk or gruel |
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Dinner | Sunday | 4oz bread 6oz meat vegetables |
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Rest of week | 6oz of bread 2 oz cheese 1 pint of broth or gruel |
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Supper | 1 ½ oz cheese 1 pint gruel |
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Children between 4 & 10 | Breakfast | 6oz bread 1 pint skimmed milk or gruel |
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Dinner | Sun, Tue, Fri & Sat | 4oz meat 2 oz flour made into a pudding vegetables |
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Mon, wed & Fri | 4oz bread 1 ½ pint broth or gruel |
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Supper | 1 ½ pint broth or gruel |
For those of you who have been bought up with the metric system; oz means ounce, there are about 28 grams to the ounce. Six ounces of bread is about 4 modern slices of brown bread.
Gruel is a watery porrage made from boiled oatmeal.