Poor Law Records

Wirral Archives Service Poor law records at Wirral Archives Service The study of Pool Law records can provide a Wirral Archives Service Opening hours rich source of information about both Monday - Friday, 9.30 - 16.30 Poor law records individuals and communities. This leaflet gives Contact Details Saturday, 10.00 - 13.00 A guide to poor law records a brief history of the subject and lists the Poor Wirral Archives Service Cheshire Lines building at Wirral Archives Service Law records held at Wirral Archives Service. Canning Street Please note that access to the Service Birkenhead is via Shore Road.

Wirral CH41 1ND Tel: 0151 606 2929 WIRRAL Fax: 0151 606 2928 ARCHIVES Woodside Ferry SH 3 OR CANNING STREET Ch E R esh OA ire D Li Email: [email protected] nes CA NN Woodside IN Bus Station T G

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S R S B T RI (please go to Leisure and Culture -> S DG SID E S NE TRE Woodside Y S ET Hotel T E D D L R Records and Archives). R Y Hamilton Square O O G Station F L JO R HN D A STR N EET A S

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Licence number 100019803. Published 2008

124FEB08JS Brief History Tracing Individuals through Records In the Middle Ages care of the poor The introduction of old-age pensions of the Birkenhead Poor Law Union was undertaken by the Church. and unemployment insurance The following list suggests some However from the Tudor period between 1908 and 1911 removed records held by Wirral Archives poor relief was undertaken by parish much of the need for the Poor Laws. Service which may be used to trace officials called Overseers of the Poor, In 1930 the administration of the individuals who worked for, or were who distributed funds raised by the Poor Laws passed to the Public cared for, by the Birkenhead Poor parish poor rate. Assistance Committees of local Law Union. councils, and many old workhouse In 1834 the Poor Law Amendment infirmaries were converted into Workhouse Registers of Inmates Act combined parishes into Poor Law hospitals at the formation of the NHS Creed registers provide details of Unions, run by Boards of Guardians. in 1948. people admitted into the workhouse, Each union was divided into districts including dates of birth and home in which a relieving officer would The Wirral Poor Law Union was addresses. Most inmates are listed formed in 1836 from 54 constituent alphabetically by surname. These consider the circumstances of each Records of the Wirral Poor Law Union parishes, and a workhouse was built registers date from 1864 to 1950, but person applying for help. Wirral Archives Service holds a small at Spital. (Clatterbridge Hospital now on admission (including religious some years may be missing. Records Held at Wirral collection of records relating to the stands on the site.) denomination), and also birth, Able-bodied poor would be admitted Archives Service Wirral Union workhouse at Spital baptism and death registers for Other useful sources include Staff to the workhouse, and those who Wirral Archives Service holds records (listed with the records of The growth of Birkenhead led in certain years. Records, Minute Books, Union could not work owing to ill health of the Birkenhead Poor Law Union, Clatterbridge Hospital). were supported by payments of 1861 to the establishment of the and some records of the Wirral Poor Records and Registrars’ and Birkenhead Poor Law Union, • Civil registration and vaccination Vaccination Records. ‘outdoor relief’. Each Union Overseer Law Union. The main body of records relating to consisting of the following former records. The Guardians acquired would collect the poor rates to cover the Wirral Poor Law Union is held at Wirral Union parishes: Bidston cum responsibilities beyond the care of the costs of these activities from the Records of the Birkenhead Cheshire Record Office. These include Ford, Birkenhead, Claughton cum the poor, including the listing of residents of the union. Poor Law Union minutes of the Board of Guardians, Grange, Liscard, Noctorum, Oxton, children to be vaccinated and the These include: miscellaneous committees and Poulton cum Seacombe, Tranmere civil registration of births, workhouse officials’ report books. and Wallasey. A workhouse was marriages and deaths. • Minutes from meetings of the For further information, the address is: opened in 1863 on Derby Road, General Board of the Poor Law Tranmere, and this later became part • Valuation lists. The Guardians Guardians and of the several Cheshire and Chester Archives and of St Catherine’s Hospital. levied a poor rate to carry out committees of the Union from Local Studies Service their work, and so registers of 1871 to 1930. These minutes Cheshire Record Office valuations of properties and rate contain a wealth of information Duke Street books were created. These usually about the Union’s activities and Chester, Cheshire CH1 1RL list both owners and occupiers of administration, and in some cases Tel: (01244) 972574 properties. information relating to individuals. [email protected]

• Workhouse Registers, recording • Various records of the Birkenhead details of those admitted to the Poor Law Union, including letter Birkenhead Union Workhouse. books, accounts and statistics. These include the ‘Creed Registers’, These can all be found listed in which record details of individuals the Poor Law and Workhouse catalogue in the search room.