Wirral Poor Law Union, Cheshire Genealogy

History
The Wirral [occasionally seen spelt Wirrall] Poor Law Union formally came into being on 16th May 1836. A new Wirral Union workhouse was erected in 1836-7 at Clatterbridge on the road from Birkenhead to Chester. It was designed by William Cole who was also the architect of the Winchester Union workhouse. In 1837, the Poor Law Commissioners authorised an expenditure of £2,500 on the building which was to accommodate 130 inmates. In 1861, parishes at the north of the Wirral separated to form the new Birkenhead Poor Law Union, Cheshire. After the ending of the workhouse system in 1930, Wirral workhouse was renamed Clatterbridge (County) General Hospital and under the National Health Service became Clatterbridge Hospital. The buildings were demolished in 1997.

Constituent Parishes
Higher Bebbington see Rock Ferry,  Nether Bebington, Cheshire, Bidston, Cheshire, Birkenhead, Cheshire,Birkenhead All Saints, Cheshire, Birkenhead Holy Trinity, Cheshire, Birkenhead St Anne,Cheshire, Birkenhead St James, Cheshire, Birkenhead St Mary, Cheshire, Brimstage see  Bromborough, Cheshire, Burton, Cheshire,  Caldey ,Childen Thornton,Claughton, Cheshire Eastham, Cheshire, Eastham, Cheshire, Frankley,Gayton see Heswall, Cheshire, Grange see Bidston, Cheshire, Greasby see Thurstaston, Cheshire, Heswall-with Oldfield see   Heswall,_Cheshire, Horton , Hoose see Hoylake Holy Trinity , Leighton, Lidham, Liscard, Cheshire,  Moreton, Ness,Great and Little neston see Neston, Cheshire, Nether Bebington, Cheshire, Rock Ferry, Seacombe St Paul,Poulton-cum-Seacombe,Cheshire,  Poulton-cum-Spittle, Nether Pool and Over Pool,Saughall Massey, Puddington, Raby, Storeton, Great Sutton and Little Sutton, Thornton Haugh, Thurstaston, Cheshire, Tranmere, Cheshire Upton by Birkenhead, Cheshire, Wallasey, Cheshire, West Kirby, Cheshire, Whitby, Willaston Woodchurch, Cheshire  Later Additions: Ellesmere Port (1911), Hoylake cum West Kirby (1894), Rock Ferry (1894-98).

Records

 * Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies Service, Cheshire Record Office, Duke Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1RL. Holdings include Guardians' minutes (1836-1891, with gaps); Workhouse committee minutes (1892-1926, with gaps)