England, Cheshire Workhouse Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The records for the Cheshire workhouses are from 1837 to the closure of each Poor Law Union. Cheshire Poor Law Unions contains further information about each Union.

Record Description
The majority of the documents are handwritten on printed forms consisting of columns and lines.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in most Cheshire workhouse birth records are:


 * Date of birth
 * Address
 * Name
 * Sex
 * Father’s name
 * Mother’s name
 * Occupation

Key genealogical facts found in most Cheshire workhouse death records are:


 * Date at death
 * Name
 * Age
 * From what parish admitted
 * Cause of death
 * Where buried

Key genealogical facts found in most Cheshire workhouse admission and discharge records are:


 * Day of the month
 * Day of the week
 * Name
 * Class for diet
 * Number affixed to the pauper’s clothes
 * Parish to which charged
 * By whose order admitted
 * Date of the order of admission
 * If born in the house, name of parent
 * Why seeking relief
 * How discharged; and if by order, by whose order
 * Death notations

Key genealogical facts found in most Cheshire workhouse creed registers are:


 * Date of entry
 * Date of admission
 * Full name
 * Birth date
 * Religion
 * Name of informant
 * Number of clothing
 * Occupation
 * Admitting authority
 * Where from or residence
 * Why admitted
 * Date of discharge
 * Address of friends

How to Use This Record
Use these records to identify relatives that may not be found in parish registers. The infirmaries attached to the workhouses were opened to the whole community in the later 19th century. The infirmaries generated birth and death records.

Record History
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. Legislation in 1930 abolished the boards of guardians and passed the responsibilities to local authorities. Additional legislation in 1948 established the National Health Service. These pieces of legislation brought about the development of infirmaries, which eventually led to the national institution of hospitals and asylums, eventually abolishing the workhouses. Workhouses were there for the able-bodied unemployed (and their families), the impotent poor, the elderly, the chronic sick, orphaned children, unwed-mothers, and those mentally ill. Some people were in and out as work was available, while others spent their whole lives in the workhouse. These records cover about 1.7 million names.

Why This Record Was Created
The records were used by local authorities keep track of the poor and account for monies spent for their living expenses.

Record Reliability
Reliability of records is high regarding dates of birth, death, admissions, and discharges. Reliability of names may vary in illegitimate births.

Related Web Sites
British Library

Database of Poor Law records for West Sussex

Related Wiki Articles
England Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc

England_and_Wales_Poor_Law_Records_1834-1948

Known Issues With This Collection
Images for this collection are suspended at present.

The index only collection is available but does not quote the source film number for each entry.

You may wish to use the Family History Library Catalog to locate the relevant Union Workhouse. For example, The Stockport Union Workhouse source film for the collection can be located by making a place name search for "Stockport" then selecting England, Cheshire, Stockport, Poorhouses, Poor Law,etc. The Register of births and deaths in Stockport Union Workhouse, 1850-1904 film can then be identified as FHL BRITISH Film 1655519 Item 3.

You may wish to use Photoduplication Services in conjunction with the Family History Library Catalog to locate the source for the entry whilst images are suspended.

The Genealogical Society of Utah filming of surviving Poor Law Union records does not include the Wirral Union and therefore FamilySearch indexing volunteers were not able to include this Union in the collection.

Cheshire Poor Law Unions gives information about the county workhouse system and unions.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection:
"England, Cheshire Workhouse Records, 1848-1967." images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org): accessed March 9, 2011, entry for Emma Phillips, died 19, August 1895, citing Workhouse Records. The Cheshire Record Office, Chester, England.

Sources of Information for This Collection
“England, Cheshire Workhouse Records, 1848-1967,” images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org); from The Cheshire Record Office, Chester. FHL microfilm, 16 rolls, Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.