Wales, Monmouthshire (Gwent) Workhouse Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 (New Poor Law) grouped parishes into Unions with a locally elected board to provide relief to the poor. The act was to provide uniform relief to the poor by providing them with housing, food, medical care, and education for the children. It was hoped that this alternative would encourage people to hard work to improve their condition rather that submit to the Union Workhouse.

Some workhouses boards attempted to turn a profit by exploiting their inmates as a free labor source. Many of these persons were unskilled and unable to secure any form of profitable employment. Most of their labor was extremely arduous such as grinding bones into meal for use as fertilizer, walking on a treadmill to turn stones in a mill, or breaking rocks for use as road base.

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records of persons admitted to the Abergavenny Union Workhouse (Monmouthshire), for the years 1843-1929. On 8 May, 1937 the Abergevenny Poor Law Union was formed to serve the following parishes:


 * Abergavenny (including Hardwicke and Lloyndir)
 * Aberystruth
 * Bettwsnewydd
 * Bryngwyn
 * Bwlch Trewyn
 * Clytha
 * Ishlawrcoed (with Manmoel and Ushlawrcoed)


 * Llanarth
 * Llanellen
 * Llanfoist, Llangattock-Llingoed
 * Llangattock-nigh-Usk
 * Llanover, Lower and Higher
 * Llansaintfraed
 * Llanthewy-Rhytherch, Llanthewy-Skirrid


 * Llantilio Pertholey
 * Llanvair Kilgidin
 * Llanvapley
 * Llanvetherine
 * Llanvihangel Crucorney with Penbiddle
 * Llanvihangel-nigh-Usk


 * Llanwenarth Citra
 * Llanwenarth Ultra
 * Lower Cwmyoy
 * Oldcastle
 * Tewddog
 * Upper Cwmyoy

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name
 * Occupation
 * Religious affiliation
 * Birth year or age
 * Other family members
 * Date of admission
 * Date of discharge

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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?

 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in a record to estimate a year of birth, if that has not been found
 * If in the appropriate period, use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil records
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, and parents. Family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage

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

 * Try variations of given names and surnames
 * Try variations of spelling
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of results which can then be examined for matches
 * Search the records of nearby locations

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

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.