The master of Knaresborough Workhouse, William Borrow, met an old poor lady, Susana Atkinson, in sickness on 28th October, 1791. The next day, he let Susana joined the workhouse. Her health since then had always been a matter of concern to the Master.
Susana kept in illness for days since she became a member of the workhouse. According to the daybook, Susana was repeatly described as 'poorly'. What's more, she was just one of the inmates who got sick frequently in the workhouse. As the daybook mentioned, from the September of 1791 to the January of 1792, over 51 days were documented people who had illness.
During the time living at the Workhouse, Susana caused a lot of trouble. She wanted to go out of the workhouse, which was not a easy thing without permission at that time. Susana did not have a good relationship with other people in the workhouse as well, according to the records from the Daybook, she seemed have a big fight with another inmate named Nutty. Besides, Susana could not remain in her proper sphere. The Master blamed a lot in the Daybook and claimed how uneasy and so much trouble she was.
As the Daybook recorded, November 23, 1791, Susana fell downstairs. Before it happened, the Master recorded few days ago, mentioned 'Old Susana Atkinson came down Stars yesterday and walkt round yard but we kept the door lockt but she never made no attempt to go out but came in and walkt up stars again'. The wish to leave the Workhouse seemed never to vanish to Susana. Although the Master did not describe in detail how bad she was, it is highly probable that Susana was in a terrible state.
[18/01/1792]
The old 'muckey' Susana finally died in illness.