MANCHESTER POOR LAW AND WORKHOUSE RECORDS

I am just going to deal with records from 1834 onwards when The Poor Law Amendment Act replaced the old poor law system. The new law was administered by the Boards of Guardians of the newly formed Poor Law Unions. Manchester was divided into three Unions, the Manchester Union, the Prestwich Union and the Chorlton Union.

MANCHESTER UNION AND PRESTWICH UNION

This was formed in 1841 and was made up of Manchester, Blackley, Cheetham, Failsworth, Harpurhey, Moston, Newton, Prestwich, Great Heaton and Little Heaton. In April 1850 the Manchester Township was declared a separate Union. The remaining townships became the Prestwich Union. In 1858 Beswick became part of the Union as did Clayton in 1894. Great Heaton and Little Heaton were removed from the Union in 1891.

CHORLTON UNION

This Union consisted of Ardwick, Burnage, Chorlton-Upon-Medlock, Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Didsbury, Gorton (divided into Gorton and West Gorton in 1894), Hulme, Levenshulme, Moss Side, Openshaw, Rusholme, Stretford and Withington. Barton upon Irwell, Flixton and Urmston were added in 1841 but removed in 1849*. In 1910 the Chorlton Union became the Township of South Manchester for Poor Law purposes.

In 1915 a major reorganisation of the Poor Law Unions took place. The Township of Manchester, the Township of South Manchester and the Prestwich Union were united to form the Manchester Union.

NEW BRIDGE ST

Records available: Creed Registers 1881 to 1899.

This is an example of the information given in these registers.

Date of Admission: 24th June 1891. Name: BOWMAN Joseph. Year Born: 1882. From Whence Admitted: No 3 District. Religious Creed: Hebrew. Name of Informant: Self. Discharged or Dead: 24th June. Admitted: 16th July. Discharged: 17th July. Admitted: 17th July. Discharged: 20th July.

As you can see from the dates he was admitted and discharged on the same day on two separate occasions.

CRUMPSALL HOSPITAL AND INSTITUTION

The Manchester Union Workhouse was originally the one at New Bridge St but it was superseded by a new workhouse in Crumpsall in 1855. It was situated adjacent to the Prestwich Workhouse. Until 1875 New Bridge St was still utilised by the aged and the infirm, when a new infirmary was built in the Crumpsall complex. The head offices still remained at New Bridge St and people would apply there for relief before being sent to either the Infirmary or the Workhouse.

By 1930 the Manchester Union Workhouse had become known as Crumpsall. It was renamed Park House Hospital in 1939. When the National Health Service came into existence it was again renamed. This time it was known as Springfield Hospital. The Infirmary later became known as Crumpsall Hospital. In 1972 the Springfield Hospital, Crumpsall Hospital and the Delaunay's Hospital amalgamated to form Manchester General Hospital.

Courtesy of Manchester Local Image Collection

Some of the records available are: Birth Registers 1934-1948; Death Registers 1933-1945; Death Registers indexes 1924-1954; Admission and Discharge Registers (hospital) 1937-1949; Admission and Discharge Registers (institution) 1933-1938; Register of Admissions to receiving wards 1944-1946 and Mortuary Particulars Book 1946-1948.

Manchester Archives and Local Studies have a collection of signs that were displayed in this workhouse. Below are some examples. I think that they give an insight into the conditions.

TOWNSHIP OF MANCHESTER

THE WORKHOUSE, CRUMPSALL

VISITING DAYS

From and after 1st NOVEMBER, 1879, the sick and infirmed

inmates of the Workhouse will be allowed to be Visited

ON THE FIRST SATURDAY IN EACH MONTH ONLY

VISITS TO BE MADE

From 1st April to 30th September between the hours of 2 and 6 p.m.

From 1st October to 31st March between the hours of 2 and 4-3o p.m.

No visits to exceed half - an - hour's duration.

(By Order,) GEO. MACDONALD

7th October 1879 Clerk to the Guardians

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MANCHESTER WORKHOUSE, CRUMPSALL

SPECIAL NOTICE

NO VISITING will be allowed to

Inmates of this Establishment on

NEW YEAR'S DAY Next.

The Visiting Day for January 1881 will be on

the SECOND Saturday instead of the first of that month.

BY ORDER

GEO. MACDONALD

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FIRE ALARM

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFICERS & NURSES

Whoever discovers an outbreak of Fire must at once report it to

the Man on duty at the Boilers, who will sound the alarm.

The Porter at the main Entrance Lodge will at once phone

for the Town Fire Brigade.

The sounding of the Steam Fire Alarm is at all times to be

regarded as an imperative call for the immediate

attendance of Officers for Fire Duty, or Practice, except that

at 11a.m. ON SATURDAYS, which is to test the efficiency

of the apparatus, and is not on such occasions to be regarded

as a call.

At the sound of the Fire Alarm all Officers, Male

and Female, and as many from the Epileptic Wards as

can be spared, must promptly parade for Fire Duty at the

Workhouse end of the Glass Passage, and the Nurses must

all go to their own Wards. Any Officer failing to do so

must, as soon as possible, give an explanation to the master.

Having reported themselves for Fire Duty, the Male Officers will

at once proceed to the nearest Hydrant to where the Fire

has broken out, attach the Stand - Pipe, run out the hose

and play on the Fire until the arrival of the Town

Fire Brigade, or the Fire is extinguished, while the

Female Officers, and Nurse must marshal such inmates

and Patients as may be liable to danger, and conduct

them, without panic or disorder, to a place of safety.

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NIGHT ALARM

The Night Officer on duty, or whoever discovers an

outbreak of fire, is to immediately connect up the nearest

Hydrant, and SEND to warn the man on duty at the

Boilers, who will sound the alarm.

The Night watchman at the Main Entrance Lodge will

telephone to the Town Fire Brigade, and report as soon as

possible to the master that there is an outbreak of Fire.

The Clerk of Works' messenger will at once be sent to

warn the Clerk of works.

By Order,

F. CASSWELL (Captain)

MANCHESTER WORKHOUSE, CRUMPSALL, MASTER

October, 1910

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NOTICE

SMOKING will

be permitted in the

Wards during the

following hours only:

MORNING - 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

NOON- 1p.m. to 2 p.m.

NIGHT- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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SMOKING IN THE WARDS BY

VISITORS IS STRICTLY

PROHIBITED

BY ORDER

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PRESTWICH UNION WORKHOUSE

A new Prestwich Union workhouse was built at Crumpsall in around 1868. After the unification of the Prestwich Union and the Manchester Union in 1915 it was known as Crumpsall Infirmary Annexe. In 1918 it was renamed Delaunay's Road Institution, which later became Delaunay's Hospital, which in turn became part of North Manchester General Hospital in 1972. Records of inmates of the Prestwich Union have not survived. Some records of the Guardians of The Poor of Manchester Unions and Prestwich (1837-1948) have survived.

I have included below a copy of the Prestwich Union Standing Orders of the Board of Guardians.

1 That at the Meetings of the Board, every Guardian addressing such Meeting shall rise from his seat, and whilst speaking remain standing.

2 That whenever amendments are made upon original proposition, no second amendment shall be taken into consideration until the first amendment is disposed of.

3 That if the first amendment be carried, it displaces the original question, and becomes itself the question whereupon any further amendment may be moved.

4 That if the first amendment be negatived, then a second may be moved to the original question under consideration; but only one amendment shall be submitted to the Board for discussion at one time.

5 That no guardian shall speak more than once on the same business or question, unless in explanation of what has previously fallen from him, if misconstrued, or in answer to a personal call, and in that case shall confine himself strictly to the requisite explanation; or unless the attention of the Chair be called to a point of order. The mover of every original resolution, but not of any amendment, shall in all cases be entitled to a final reply, immediately after which the question shall be put from the Chair.

6 Any member of the Board may simply second a motion and be entitled to to speak to the question at any time during the debate before the reply of the mover of the question.

7 Any Guardian intending to bring forward any subject not connected with or arising out of the business of the Board, shall give notice thereof at a previous meeting.

8 That these standing orders shall be read over at the annual meeting of the Board immediately after the minutes of the preceding meeting, and whenever any Guardian, rising to order, shall call upon the Clerk to read them; and shall in no case be suspended at any meeting, unless by the votes of two-thirds of the members present thereat.

Well I am sure that the residents who lived in the area covered by the Union, slept more soundly in there beds, in the knowledge that the Guardians were operating within the confines of these standing orders.

The records for Prestwich Asylum are split between Lancashire Record Office and Greater Manchester County Records Office. The Asylum Admission Registers for 1851 to 1901 have been indexed and copied to disc available from the local FHS.

My great grandfather, Charles Lodge had the dubious pleasure of being an inmate in this Institution. His records can be seen at the Lancashire Record Office. Fortunately for him, he was only in there for about three months. The medical records make quite sombre reading. He is described as being a pauper lunatic. He was certainly ill, but if he was a lunatic, he was cured without a lot of treatment.

BOOTH HALL INFIRMARY

Built in 1908 it was originally the general hospital of the Prestwich Union. The Manchester and Prestwich Unions amalgamated in 1915. During the First world war is was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers. After this period it became a children's hospital.

Records available; Admissions Register 1938-1955: Summary of Admissions 1956-1966: Creed Registers 1909-1945: Mortuary Register 1942-1948 and other assorted register.

WITHINGTON WORKHOUSE AND HOSPITAL (CHORLTON UNION WORKHOUSE)

The first Chorlton Union Workhouse was on Stretford New Rd and catered for 300 inmates. As the population grew it became inadequate and a new workhouse had to be built. the Chorlton Union Workhouse at Nell lane opened in 1855. The site also included a cemetery which also served the area as well as the workhouse until 1920. The cemetery was formerly closed in 1970 and the remains removed and re-buried in Southern Cemetery. Some remains had been removed earlier when Princess Road was built and later in the 1960's when some other work was necessary. A record of the memorial inscriptions on the headstones removed to Southern Cemetery can be seen on film at the National Archives on film number RG 37/98. During the First World War it was used as a Military Hospital.

Records available: Birth Registers 1857-1920; Death Registers 1857-1959; Death Register indexes 1907-1949; Admission Registers and Discharge Register 1870-1884; Creed Registers 1869-1916; Registers of Inmates 1914-1946; Register of Patients 1930-1948; Internment Registers 1898-1951; Cemetery Reference Book 1857-1891; Chaplaincy Registers of Baptisms 1849-1924; Auxiliary Hospital Admission and Discharge

Courtesy of Manchester Local Image Collection

Register 1940-1948 and the Register of Paying Patients 1926-1948. There are some medical records available some of which have restricted access. Records are available of the children sent overseas by this Union and again some of these records have restricted access (see below).

CHORLTON UNION REGISTER OF CHILDREN SENT TO CANADA

This register covers the period 1892 - 1947. The Manchester Archives reference is M4/60/2. The register is named indexed and MALS will do searches in the restricted sections on a request subject to certain conditions. Although the register title suggests that all the children were sent to Canada, a few of the children were sent elsewhere. The records can be a bit patchy in the quality of information , but others give quite a lot of detail. Below is an example of one of the better entries that I was allowed to study.

Name of Child: John Henry JONES. Date of Birth: 1896. Particulars re Parentage etc: Blank. School or Institution in which Child was Chargeable prior to Emigration: Styal Cottage Homes. Date of Discharge from School or Institution: 16/03/1905. Name and Address of Society under whose auspices the Child was Emigrated: Manchester & Salford Refugees. Date of Sailing: 06/04/1905. Destination: Ontario. Name and Address of Employer: J E Stephens, Hastings P O, Ontario.

General Remarks: Good report from Canadian agent sent by Mr Ackroyd, received 09/11/1905.

Unfavourable report received 30/08/1906. Boy is said to be untruthful.

Poor report of boy's physical condition and capacity for work from Mr Boyce Smart dated 26/10/1906.

Improved report from B S [Refuge] received 15/10/1907.

Good report received dated 24/10/1907 K T Henry.

Good report received dated 30/06/1908 Mr Ackroyd.

Good report received dated September 1908 Mr Ackroyd.

Report dated 28/04/1908 received 05/11/1908 says boy leaving Stephens K J Henry.

Name and Address of (new) Employer: Mr J Howes, Blessington. General Remarks: Good Report received 11/02/1910 Mr Ackroyd.

Good report dated 04/09/1909 R W Hillyard.

Good report dated 02/03/1910 received 17/08/1910 K J Henry.

Good report received 09/09/1910 Mr Ackroyd received 13/10/1910.

Good report received 01/11/1911 dated 07/08/1911.

Name and Address of (new) Employer: C H Weise, P O Belleville, Hastings, Co Ontario. general Remarks: Bad report 07/06/1911 received 22/12/1911.

Special report received 28/02/1912 dated 14/02/1912.

Report (boy missing) received 28/06/1912 dated 23/01/1912.

Report (boy missing) received 28/06/1912 dated 14/02/1912.

Report (boy missing) received 08/11/1912 dated 10/07/1912.

Report (boy missing) received 19/05/1913 dated 23/01/1913.

Report received 09/06/1915 dated 08/05/1915. Boy doing well.

Name and Address of (new) Employer: (06/08/1915) Arthur McFarland, Shannonville, Ontario. General Remarks: Report received 06/06/1917 killed in action April 11th 1917.

Report received 14/06/1917 & letters. See file.

Report again received killed in action April 11th 1917 dated 07/05/1917.

MANCHESTER & SALFORD PENITENTS ASYLUM

There were many small missions, asylums, refuges and the like run by other organisations on a subscription basis. Sadly not many records from these places survive.The above was one of these such places. The institution was located at 99 Embden St, Greenheys. Its previous home was in Rusholme Rd, Chorlton on Medlock. It was run by two committees, a Gentlemen's Committee and a Ladies' Committee. They came a save haven to women and girls who had "fallen from grace".

The following is an extract from the Gentlemen's Committee "Minutes of Examination of Girls previously to their Admission into the Institution". In other words it's a description of the circumstances of the girls and women wishing to enter the institution on a permanent basis.

Committee Meeting 25th June 1873

No 77 Eliza NEWBOLD. Age 38, no parents, is a widow - Husband died two years ago. has two sons aged 18 & 20. Has been 10 years in Manchester. Husband was a Sergeant in the Army - Native of Leicestershire - Brought up in the Church of England. Can read & write, worked at serving - Has been in the house 12 weeks.

No 23 Jane FERRIS. Age 15 next March, Father and Stepmother living in Hulme, former works at Sharps, the latter keeps a mangle. Worked at mill. Can neither read nor write. Very unhappy life through the parents drinking - which led to her going astray - continued so for three weeks only. Came to the house 3 months ago of her own accord having heard of this place from one of her companions - Promises to amend and abide by the rules.

SOURCE; MANCHESTER ARCHIVES AND LOCAL STUDIES

*This coincides with these areas being included in the Chorlton Registration District

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Last update:29th June 2008