Index of Admission to and Discharges from Poor Law Union Workhouses, 1836-1900
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Background
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| In 1836 a national system of Poor Law Unions was established by the Poor Law
Amendment Act, 1834. The Unions were groups of parishes which provided jointly
for the poor in their area. Part of this provision was through the Union
Workhouse, or Poor Law Institution, to give it its formal title. Here, those
who were too poor, old, infirm or mentally unfit to provide for themselves,
were housed. Unmarried pregnant women were also admitted when their families
disowned them and they were left destitute. |
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| The needy were admitted to the workhouse following an examination by a
“relieving officer” or by the Master of the workhouse. Relieving officers were
officials of the Unions responsible for assessing the poor of their districts
for eligibility for assistance. Inmates were discharged from the workhouse if
they acquired the means to provide for themselves, or if a responsible family
member could be found to provide for them. In some cases inmates were admitted
and discharged on a regular basis as they found temporary work, for example. |
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| For more information about how workhouses operated as well as the historical
background to the Poor Laws, please see the very informative website – The
Workhouse (www.workhouses.org.uk). |
| Note: Links to external sites will open in a
new tab or window. |
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About this Index
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| This is an index to admissions to and discharges from Union Workhouses, taken
from all surviving registers dating between 1836 and 1900, in the care of the
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service. The survival of such
registers is very poor. Although the Archive Service holds records for 18 Poor
Law Unions, workhouse admission and discharge registers have survived for just
six of them, and in only one case, that of Tamworth, is there a complete series
from 1836 to 1900: |
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| (a) Burton upon Trent, c1878-1900. Note: although Burton is in
Staffordshire, the Burton Union included parishes in both Staffordshire and
Derbyshire. Records held at Lichfield Record Office. |
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| (b) Seisdon, 1837-1844, 1852-1856, 1859-1961, 1864-1867, 1876-1880.
Note: although the Seisdon Union is largely in Staffordshire, it also included
Rudge in Shropshire. Records held at Staffordshire Record Office. |
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| (c) Stafford, 1842-1850, 1858-1862, 1869-1873, 1879-1883, 1890-1893,
1899-1900. |
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| (d) Stoke upon Trent, 1836-1837. Records held at Stoke on
Trent City Archives. |
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| (e) Stourbridge, 1842-1846, 1870-1873, 1886-1892(D), 1889-1892(A).
Note: although Stourbridge is in Worcestershire, the Stourbridge Union included
parishes in both Worcestershire and Staffordshire. Records held at
Staffordshire Record Office. |
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| (f) Tamworth, 1836-1900. Note: although Tamworth is in
Staffordshire, the Tamworth Union included parishes in both Staffordshire and
Warwickshire. Records held at Lichfield Record Office. |
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| Click the link to see a
full list of places within each of these unions. |
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| A successful search in the index can provide you with the following information. Items with an asterisk are sometimes included : |
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| Surname, forename(s), birth year* or age*; occupation, original parish; record type (admission or discharge); additional information*; date recorded; union; document reference number. |
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| Please note that, because inmates might be frequently admitted and discharged
for various reasons, you may find numerous entries relating to one person. |
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Other Records of Interest
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| As already noted, the survival of records for Poor Law Unions is very variable.
The following is an indication of the classes of records recording workhouse
inmates that may survive for the nineteenth century : |
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Indoor relief lists, an alternative record of inmates
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Vagrants and casual paupers admission and discharge registers
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Certificates for the detention of lunatics
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Workhouse medical relief books
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Birth and death registers
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Creed registers - giving the religious affiliation of inmates
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School attendance books
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Register of apprentices
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Leave of absence books
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| Detailed information may be found in the catalogues of records of Poor Law
Unions held by the Archive Service, which are listed in the Gateway to the Past
online catalogue (www.archives.staffordshire.gov.uk). Click here to find
advice on searching the records of a particular Poor Law Union on the Gateway
to the Past site. |
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Copyright
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| The contents of this database are copyright of Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent
Archive Service and may not be reproduced by any means whatsoever without
permission. |