humiliation and stigma and entering it was a last resort. Walter Conway, Secretary of the Tredegar Medical Aid Society (whose model helped to shape the principals of the NHS) was himself an inmate at the workhouse in approx. 1882 after becoming an orphan. He had positive memories of his time at the workhouse and recalls his master telling him to do everything well. Later in life he was also on the Board of Guardians. In 1901 there was a new building added which is believed to be the Infirmary. The workhouse was given the address ‘Ty Bryn’ in 1904 on the Registrar’s request at his concern shown to the sigma of the registration of children’s births to the ‘workhouse’ address. In 1902 James Callaghan murdered his common law wife Hannah Shea. She was living at the workhouse with their children and he was staying in lodgings in the town. He was convicted and then executed at Usk Prison. He was hung by brothers William and John Billington. Cottage homes for the children Shelter at the workhouse was in constant demand and often the building was overcrowded, in 1902 a poor law inspection discovered that there was many inmates who shared beds. The Bedwellty Union Board of Guardians decided to build cottage homes for the workhouse children to alleviate the overcrowding. This was also an attempt to improve the environment in which the children would be cared for. The cottage homes opened in 1905 at Park Row Tredegar and housed 75 children in five separate houses with a foster mother living in each. This new concept of care was inspired by European institutional care such as Rauhe Haus in Germany. There was also provision for children in smaller homes in different towns belonging to the union. The demand for the workhouse provision continued and in 1908 the building was enlarged and now had capacity for 440 inmates. World War I In January 1919 the workhouse infirmary was used as an auxiliary military hospital, the cottage homes for children provided facilities for the sick who would have been cared for in the workhouse infirmary. The cottages were utilised as follows: No's 1 and 2 Maternity, female and children; No's 4 and 5 male patients and dispensary and No 3 administration, housing for staff and the cook. The sick and wounded soldiers were then transferred to 3rd Western General Hospital, Cardiff in July.