Ormskirk, Lancashire Poor Law Union

History
The first town workhouse for Ormskirk was opened in 1732. by 1777 workhouses existed at: Ormskirk Aughton Melling with Cunscough

The Ormskirk Poor Law Union was formed on 31st January 1837. A new Ormskirk Union workhouse was built in 1851-3 on a site at the south side of the Wigan Road in Ormskirk. It was designed by William Culshaw who was also the architect of much larger workhouses for the Toxteth Park and West Derby Unions. Ormskirk workhouse later became the Ormskirk and District General Hospital.

Constituent Parishes
Altcar, Lancashire, Aughton, Lancashire,  Bickerstaffe, Lancashire, Birkdale Birkdale, St John, Lancashire,  Birkdale St James, Lancashire , Birkdale St Peter, Lancashire Bispham Green see Ormskirk, Lancashire ,  Burscough Bridge, Lancashire, Down Holland see Halsall, Lancashire,  Formby, Lancashire,  Halsall, Lancashire ,  Hesketh with Becconsall, Lancashire ,  Lathom St James, Lancashire,  Lydiate, Lancashire,  Maghull, Lancashire,  Melling (near Liverpool), Lancashire,  North Meols, Lancashire, Ormskirk, Lancashire,  Rufford, Lancashire,  Scarisbrick, Lancashire, Simonswood see Kirkby, Lancashire,  Skelmersdale, Lancashire,  Tarleton, Lancashire. Later Additions: Ainsdale (1894-1925), Southport (1894-1930) Southport Holy Trinity, Lancashire, Southport Christ Church, Lancashire

Records
Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE. Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1837-1930); Workhouse births and deaths register (1828-48).

Register of births and deaths at Ormskirk Workhouse HROR/2/1 19 Apr 1838 - 3 Mar 1848 Various Papers relating to the workhouse in Aughton Street, Ormskirk, for the townships of Lathom, Bickerstaffe, Burscough, Halsall, Downholland, &amp; Lydiale PR445 1732 – 1839 Lists of paupers admitted into Ormskirk workhouse from Downholland parish PR2956/7/1 1894-1895 Articles of agreement between churchwardens and overseers of the poor of parishes around Ormskirk, to set up a workhouse in Moor Street, Ormskirk PR3019/6/5 2 Mar 1734 Articles of agreement (2) for joint upkeep of a workhouse in Aughton Street, Ormskirk, for the use of the towns of Lathom, Burscough, Bickerstaffe, Halsall, Downholland, Lydiate, Scarisbrick, Melling and Maghull PR2956/3/14 21 May 1733 Statements of amounts owed for Bispham poor in Ormskirk Union Workhouse PR2596/10 1889-1894, 1909, 1910 Printed minutes of meeting of inspectors of Moor Street workhouse, Ormskirk. [Lancashire Record Office, AUGHTON Parish] PR3019/8/5 5 Apr. 1821

Websites
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?Ormskirk/Ormskirk.shtml