Historian Arthur Nicholls describes Kendal’s soup kitchen, which helped the needy in the 19th century . . .

WE might think we are badly off in these recessionary times but in the 19th century the poor labouring classes came close to starvation with no charities or social services to aid them.

George Braithwaite, a prominent businessman in Highgate, headed a group of Kendal citizens to alleviate the distress. They collected money and opened a shop on Woolpack Yard to sell soup to the poor.

We might think that soup was hardly a satisfying meal, but to the hungry it was described as a ‘comfortable dinner’ and was probably the only decent meal of the day.

The money soon ran out and the need arose again 26 years later. A public meeting was held and it was decided to raise subscriptions to provide nourishing soup to the poor unemployed.

Sermons were preached and door-to-door collections were made. Soup was sold at ½d a quart and even that was not really cheap.

On the first day in 1830, 492 applicants bought 1,254 quarts of soup (over 300 gallons or 1,425 litres). The Westmorland Gazette described it as of superior quality and flavour and hoped the recipients would appreciate that townsfolk had tried to help the needy.

In two months 7,800 gallons, (35,460 litres) were sold and in one week alone there were 736 applicants, such was the need.

The soup was very nutritious and used beef, rice, peas, onions, carrots, celery and leeks with salt, pepper and ginger. It was boiled for five or six hours and served with a thick slice of bread.

The need subsided in April but rose again each winter.

As always, there were those who tried to buy tickets to obtain soup to which they were not entitled and the Gazette had hard words to say about them.

Subscription lists were published and John Meldrum was shown as giving in kind – a bushel of peas. The Soup Kitchen opened most winters.

A great depression arose in 1842 and soup was again provided. It was thought at this time that something more than soup was needed so coals were bought from the soup kitchen fund for the destitute poor. Blankets were also loaned out for the winter, each one marked showing its ownership.

In 1846 the premises rented by the soup kitchen were put up for sale and the Soup Fund Committee managed to buy them for some £200.

This left just £40 in the Fund but it was not the end of the soup kitchen. There was no let-up for the poor and the committee was determined to reach the truly needy.

In 1848 they took a moral stand and refused to allow the wallers to buy soup as they were on strike. From that time the need diminished and the soup kitchen was not needed – but this was not the end of it.

Money in the Fund was offered to help build the public wash-houses in 1860, but another group took over that project.

In 1893, with just £1 left, the funds were merged with those of the Old Dispensary.

Then, in 1895 ,the Charity Organisation Committee opened a soup kitchen at St. George’s Hall in Kendal and at Pembroke House in Kirkland for a week and this saw the end of the Kendal soup kitchen, which died an honourable death.