Norfolk Poor Law Union Records 1796-1900 Image Browse
Explore poor law union records from the county of Norfolk, England.
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Explore poor law union records from the county of Norfolk, England.
Learn about these records
This collection of records is browse-only. From these records you discover names, family relationships, residences, event dates, children’s ages, and birth and death dates.
The Poor Law Unions included in this collection are Aylsham, Blofield, Depwade, Docking, Downham, East and West Flegg, Erpingham, Forehoe, Guiltcross, Henstead, King’s Lynn, Loddon and Clavering, Mitford and Launditch, Norwich, Smallburgh, St Faith’s, Swaffham, Thetford, Walsingham, and Wayland.
There are several different types of records in this collection:
- Admission & discharge books
- Application & report books
- Baptisms
- Births
- Governors’ report books
- Guardians’ minute books
- Indoor relief lists
- Outdoor relief lists
- Private court order books
- Rate books
The places included in this collection are as follows:
- Aylsham
- Aylsham Workhouse
- Buxton District
- Buxton Workhouse
- Eynsford District
- Fakenham District
- Great Snoring Workhouse
- Gressenhall Workhouse
- Heckingham Workhouse
- Jews Lane Ward
- Oulton District
- Oulton Workhouse
- Rockland All Saints Workhouse
- Sedgeford Lane Ward
- Smallburgh Workhouse
- St Andrew’s Workhouse
- Swaffham Workhouse
- Swainsthorpe Workhouse
- Thetford Workhouse
- Wicklewood Workhouse
Poor law records pertain to those created and held by a parish vestry (local government’s administrative body) or union in the course of caring for the poor in a given parish. The records detail how funds were collected, shared, and protected for the aid of the parish’s destitute and struggling, as well as details relating to the poor and to those paying the poor rate, which would help in the aid of the parish’s poor. This system had a long history in England, with the first poor law coming into effect in 1601.
Under the Poor Law Act of 1601, the poor were cared for by the Church of England parish to which they belonged. This system changed after 1834 when the responsibility shifted from the parish to the Workhouses and Poor Law Unions. With this change, several parishes would make up a Poor Law Union.
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You can explore these records by narrowing your search by the following fields:
- Poor Law Union
- Place
- Event
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