Amodau Cymdeithasol

Amgylchiadau yn Wyrcws Llanfyllin

Parhâi'r wyrcws i fod yn lle garw, digroeso ym 1891, er fod yr amgylchiadau'n well nag yn gynharach yn y ganrif. Roedd wedi'u hadeiladu'n fwriadol i fod yn debyg i garchar, gyda rheolau caeth, didostur, gwahaniad llym ar ddynion, merched a phlant, dognau pitw o fwyd a gwaith gormesol, diddiwedd. Y syniad tu ôl i'r hyn oedd annog pobl i ymdrechu i gynorthwyo'u hunain. Canlyniad methu â gwneud hynny oedd cael eich hunan yn y wyrcws.

Dengys cofnod o lyfr cofnodion Llanfyllin ar 5ed Mawrth 1891 fod crwydriaid yn dal i gael eu hel i weithio i dorri cerrig ar gyfer adeiladu ffyrdd:

Archifau Sir Powys

"Workhouse Stone The Llanfyllin District Highway Board called the attention of the Guardians to the fact that broken stones were deposited near the workhouse entrance too much on the road and also to the fact that the stones were broken too large for road purposes. The Master reported that the stones had been removed off the road and that all stones were now being properly broken by the vagrants."

Roedd hwn yn ffynhonnell ddefnyddiol o incwm i'r Undeb:

Archifau Sir Powys

"The Master reported that he had sold to the County surveyor 50 tons of broken stone at 2s/9d per ton."

Tasg gyffredin arall i ddynion a merched oedd plicio ocwm. Ffibr oedd hwn a geid wrth dynnu hen raffau'n ddarnau. Câi ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer calcio (cau semau ar longau) ac fel defnydd ddal dwr. Yn ogystal roedd raid i bawb, ar wahân i'r ifanc iawn a'r musgrell, gynorthwyo gyda gwaith angenrheidiol rhedeg y wyrcws.

Roedd meistr Wyrcws Ffordun yn destun cwyn gan un o'r tlodion oherwydd y gosb a gafodd.

Archifau Sir Powys

"Complaint against the Master A letter was read from a Pauper named Charles Lloyd complaining that he had been unnecessarily and undeservedly punished by the Master on 16th And 24th of July by alteration of diet and confinement in refractory cell. The Master who was called into the Board Room stated that the punishment had been inflicted but that they were justified by he conduct of the pauper. The Punishment Book was then examined and no entry having been made of one of such punishments the following Resolution was passed on the motion of the Rev L J Lee seconded by Mr Pryce Jones. It having come to the knowledge of the Guardians that punishments are inflicted on the inmates without being reported to the Board the Master be cautioned in future to record all cases of punishment in the Book provided for that purpose."

Fodd bynnag, nid dim ond gwaith a gofid oedd rhan trigolion wyrcws Llanfyllin, gan y gwneid rhywfaint o ymdrech i wella eu byd. Adroddwyd yn y cyfarfod ar ôl y Nadolig: