Lancaster, Lancashire Poor Law Union

History
The first Lancaster town workhouse was built before 1777 and housed up to 88 people. In 1788 a workhouse was built to the south of Quernmore Road.

The Lancaster Poor Law Union was formed on 10th December 1839. The Lancaster Union took over the existing workhouse on Quernmore Road. The building was greatly enlarged in 1840-41 at a cost of £4,000.

In 1889 expansion of the site brought additonal buildings included an infectious diseases hospital and children's home and an infirmary.

After 1930, the workhouse became Parkside Institution under the control of Lancashire County Council Public Assistance Committee. In 1948 it joined the new National Health Service as Bay View Hospital and continued in operation until 1962. The main workhouse building no longer exists. The surviving blocks at the north of the site now form part of the Lancaster Royal Grammar School premises.

Parishes in the Union
Constituent parishes included: Aldcliffe, Ashton with Stodday, Bulk , Carnforth , Cockerham, Lancashire, North and South Ellel, Lancashire , Glasson, Lancashire Heaton with Oxcliffe, Lancaster Castle, Lancashire, Lancaster St Anne, Lancashire Lancaster St Mary, Lancashire , Lancaster St John, Lancashire , Lancaster St Thomas, Lancashire, Middleton within  Overton, Lancashire, Overton Wyersdale , Priest Hutton , Scotforth, Shireshead, Lancashire  Silverdale, Lancashire,  Skerton, Lancashire, Thurnham ,  Warton (near Lancaster), Lancashire with Lindeth, Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne see Yealand, Lancashire. Later Additions: (from 1858) Cockersand Abbey, Lancashire,  (from 1869 Bolton le Sands, Lancashire) (from 1869) Heysham, Lancashire, Morecambe (1924-28) Morecambe Holy Trinity, Lancashire, Poulton Barre and Torrisholme Poulton, Lancashire  Church of the Ascension, Torrisholme, Lancashire(1869-1924),  Slyne-with-Hest,Lancashire (from 1869).

Records

 * Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE. Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1839-1930); Relief books (1894-1945); Pauper lunatic records (1865-1923); Creed registers (1926-46).
 * Parish records in St. Mary's Church in Lancaster, 1707-1900 Contains clergy account book for Lancaster and the chapelries or townships within the parish, including details of income from mortuaries, tithe, land tax, poor and other rate assessments and marriages oblations, and references are made to "Papists" and "Quakers"; also includes accounts, 1739-1766 of (Revd. James Fenton's) payments to his family, including account of the furnishing of his sons's chamber at the Inner Temple in London; also includes miscellaneous related papers, including valuation of lands in Bulk, 1734; sequestration order; churchwardens' accounts, 1750-1900; churchwardens' ledger, 1854-1875; offertory account book, 1886-1893; records of subscribers and subscriptions to purchase of organ and salary of organist, 1727-1741; estimates, subscriptions book accounts plans and correspondence concerning the restoration of the church, 1852-1872; churchwardens' accounts, 1854-1868; church rate accounts, 1826-1862; church rate assessment book, 1819. Lancashire Record Office: PR 3262/2/1-2; 3262/4/1-3, 7-10

Websites
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Lancaster/Lancaster.shtml