4. The Workhouse
This chapter is available for sale as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file for the price of £2.50.
Our ancestors dreaded the idea of having to go into the workhouse but, for those who had reached a state of desperation, it offered a very basic level of existence. The parish authorities had looked after the poor in their area for centuries until, in 1834, Poor Law Unions were set up to take control.
This chapter briefly covers the early history of poverty, the institution of the Boards of Guardians and Poor Law Unions, life in the workhouse and the records that you hope have survived for your region. You will find examples of a variety of documents including:
- elected members of the Board of Guardians
- workhouse hours
- workhouse master’s journal
- admission and discharge registers
- register of births
- pauper description books
- register of maintenance cases
- registers of apprentices
- punishment book
- outdoor relief books
An Appendix lists all the parishes in each Poor Law Union.
Index to Chapter 4. The Workhouse.
- Admission Register 10, 12
- ALLEN 6
- ANSTICE 10
- APERLEY 9
- apprenticeships 10, 14
- ARKELL 6
- Arlingham 10
- ARNOLD 10
- asylum 6, 15
- AYRES 14
- BAKER 6
- BALDWIN 14
- BERRY 12
- birth certificate 14
- births 10
- Board of Guardians 4, 5, 16
- Bristol 3, 5, 18
- buildings 7
- BUTLER 14
- CANDY 9
- chapel 7
- chaplain 7, 9
- Charlton, Wilts 9
- Cheltenham 5, 10, 14, 15
- Chepstow 5
- Cirencester 3, 5
- CLUTTERBUCK 10
- committee minutes 9
- CRISP 15
- CURTIS 10
- DAVIS 10
- deaths 10
- deeds 9
- Discharge Register 10, 13
- DRINKWATER 6
- Dursley 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12
- Eastville 18
- ELLIOTT 14
- Evesham 5, 10
- Faringdon 5
- FLETCHER 14
- Gloucester 3, 4, 5, 6, 18
- HAIR 10
- HARE 10
- HARRIS 6
- HAY 6
- Holy Trinity 6
- House of Industry 7
- infirmary 7
- JEFFS 14
- Keynsham 5
- Kingswood 5
- ledgers 9
- letter books 9
- Lord of the Manor 2
- lunatics 10, 15
- maintenance 10, 15, 16
- MARTIN 14
- master 7, 9
- matron 7
- meals 8
- medical officer 7, 9, 10
- MILLARD 14
- Monmouth 5
- MOYLE 10
- NAIR 10
- Newent 5, 11, 13
- Northleach 5
- official visitors 9
- OLIVER 6
- outdoor relief 10
- out-relief 2, 17
- Overseers of the Poor 2
- parish workhouse 3
- PARKER 6
- pauper description books 10, 12
- paupers 9
- pay books 9
- PHILLIPS 6
- plans 9
- Poor Law Acts 2
- Poor Law Amendment Act 5
- Poor Law Union 5, 7
- poorhouse 3
- public assistance institutions 18
- public vaccinator 10
- punishment 15
- rate books 9
- reception 7
- records 9
- Register of Inmates 10
- relatives 15
- removals 10
- RICKETTS 9
- Ross 5
- Sandhurst 6
- schoolroom 7
- schoolteacher 7
- service 14
- settlement 6, 16
- Shipston 5
- Sodbury 5
- St Catherine 6
- St Mary de Lode 6
- St Michael 6
- Stapleton 18
- Stow 5
- Stratford 5
- Stroud 3, 5, 9
- TATLOE 6
- Tetbury 5
- Tewkesbury 5, 15, 17
- Thornbury 5, 9
- tramps 7
- Uley 5
- unmarried mother 13
- vagrants 7
- valuation lists 9
- visitor’s Journal 10
- Warmley 5
- Westbury 5
- Wheatenhurst 5, 9, 14
- WHITFIELD 14
- WILKINS 9
- Winchcombe 5
- workhouse 7, 15
- workhouse master 14
- Wotton under Edge 9
- YEEND 14
