England, Cheshire Workhouse Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection contains an index to various records associated with workhouses from the county of Cheshire for the years 1848-1967. The original records are held at the Cheshire Archives.

The workhouses started out housing the various types of poor separately. The records generated by the workhouses were kept according to the 1834 poor law act to help local authorities keep track of the poor and account for monies spent for their living expenses. In the later nineteenth century, the infirmaries attached to the workhouses were opened to the public, and therefore generated birth and death records for the wider community. The records for the Cheshire workhouses are from 1837 to the closure of each Poor Law Union; the Cheshire Poor Law Unions page contains information specific to each Union.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: If possible, locate the original workhouse document, which will give you more information than the indexed record. Use the resources to the right for further information.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information:
 * Name of the person
 * Date range for the record

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * If this is a birth record, search for church or civil registration to determine the names of parents
 * If this is a death or burial record, use the age to estimate a birth year and search for church or civil registration for birth and christening
 * Admission records only gives the date of admission but provides a residence location. Search in census records for the area
 * Some birth records indicate the names of the parents. Use this information to trace the family in census records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. An individual might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name
 * Names were often spelled as scribes heard them. Pay attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try spelling variations that could have that pronunciation
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return broader list results
 * Search the records of nearby locations
 * Lancashire to the north
 * Derbyshire to the east
 * Staffordshire or Shropshire to the south
 * Welsh counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire to the west

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in England.
 * England Guided Research
 * England Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, please read the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, feel free to report them at [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"England, Cheshire, Workhouse Records, 1848-1967." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Record Office, Chester.

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