Penkridge, Staffordshire Poor Law Union

History
The poorlaw union of Penkridge comprises 21 parishes or places, and contains a population of 16,074.

From:, A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 545-549. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51208 Date accessed: 22 March 2011.

The Union Workhouse was an old building at Brewood, enlarged between 1838 and 1842 to accomodate 200 people.

The townships of Penkridge, Coppenhall, Dunston, and Stretton were each supporting their own poor by 1834. Before the establishment of the Penkridge Union, with its workhouse first at Brewood and then at Cannock, the parish workhouse stood on the north side of Cannock Road, formerly Husbandman Street, opposite Reynolds Cottage. The building was used as cottages in the last half of the 19th century but has recently been demolished. The site is occupied by modern houses.

From: 'Penkridge: Introduction and manors', A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 5: East Cuttlestone hundred (1959), pp. 103-126. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53403 Date accessed: 22 March 2011.

The Penkridge Poor Law Union was renamed On 14th March, 1877and became known as the Cannock Poor Law Union.

See also

http://www.institutions.org.uk/workhouses/england/staffs/cannock_workhouse.htm

For more information on the history of the workhouse, see Peter Higginbotham's web site: www.workhouses.org.uk and

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Cannock/Cannock.shtml

Parishes in the Union
Acton Trussell, Staffordshire Bednall, Staffordshire Brewood, Staffordshire Bushbury, Staffordshire Cannock, Staffordshire Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire Church Eaton, Staffordshire Coppenhall, Staffordshire Dunston, Staffordshire Gentleshaw, Staffordshire Great Wyrley, Staffordshire Lapley, Staffordshire Norton Canes, Staffordshire Penkridge, Staffordshire Shareshill, Staffordshire Stretton, Staffordshire Teddesley Hay, Staffordshire

Later additions Coven,St Paul, Staffordshire