Bolton, Lancashire Poor Law Union

History
Bolton Poor Law Union was constituted in 1837, under the Poor Law Reform Act of 1834. It comprised the following townships: Parish of Bolton-le-Moors  Bradshaw, Breightmet, Darcy Lever, Edgworth, Entwistle, Great Bolton, Harwood, Little Bolton, Little Lever, Longworth, Lostock, Quarlton, Sharples, Tonge-with-Haulgh, Turton. Parish of Deane Farnworth, Halliwell, Heaton, Horwich, Kearsley, Little Hulton, Middle Hulton, Over Hulton, Rumworth, Westhoughton. Parish of Middleton Great Lever.

The townships of Anglezarke and Rivington, Bolton-le-Moors Parish were in Chorley Union; Blackrod Bolton-le-Moors Parish was in Wigan Union.

Astley Bridge, Lancashire, Bolton le Moors St Peter, Lancashire , Bolton le Moors Christ Church, Lancashire , Bolton le Moors Emmanuel, Lancashire, Bolton le Moors Holy Trinity, Lancashire Bolton le Moors St George, Lancashire , Bradshaw, Lancashire Deane, Lancashire , Farnworth and Kearsley, Lancashire , Halliwell St Peter, Lancashire ,Halliwell St Paul, Lancashire Harwood, Lancashire , Horwich, Lancashire Lever Bridge, Lancashire , Little Bolton All Saints, Lancashire , Little Bolton St John, Lancashire ,Little Hulton, Lancashire Little Lever, Lancashire ,Tonge, Lancashire , Turton, Lancashire ,Walmsley, Lancashire ,West Houghton, Lancashire Fishpool Workhouse The Bolton Union Workhouse at Fishpool in Farnworth was opened in 1861. Before that date, the Guardians used the former township workhouses of Great Bolton Fletcher Street and Turton Goose Cote Hill. Other premises administered by the Board included the Casual or Tramp Wards in Kings Gate, Great Bolton, Hollins Cottage Homes for poor children in Farnworth, and Townleys Hospital, which was built on a site next to Fishpool Workhouse. The Board was abolished by the Local Government Act of 1929, and its powers and functions transferred to the Public Assistance Committees of Bolton County Borough and Lancashire County Councils

Records The Bolton Union has one of the best preserved record collection of surviving records. The GSU microfilming will be detailed and then the Bolton Museum holdings to enable comparison.

The Genealogical Society of Utah microfilm Workhouse records for Bolton Poor Law Union, 1880-1905

Microreproduction of records housed at the Central Library, Civic Centre, Bolton. The workhouse is located in Farnworth. Some registers contain indexes. Bolton Archives Central Library: GBO/9/42-79, 143-154; JBO/11/1-3; GBO/10/1-17, GBO/9/133A.

21 microfilms

Bolton Museums holdings

Fever Wards Admissions 1847-1848 Original GBO/9* Deaths 1847-1848 Microfilm D9:21 Fletcher Street Admissions 1839-1861 Microfilm D9:25-27 Births 1839-1860 Microfilm D9:21 Birth Index 1839-1860 B929.3 UNI Deaths 1839-1861 Microfilm D9:21 Discharges 1839-1861 Microfilm D9:25-27 Inmates (Index) 1820-1833 B362.5 LAM Kingsgate Casual Wards Admissions 1939-1940 Original GBO/9*

Farnworth Fishpool Admissions 1861-1880 Microfilm D9:27-31 Admissions 1880-1948 Original GBO/9* Births 1861-1926 Microfilm D9:21 Birth Index 1861-1926 B929.3 UNI Burials 1905-1908 Microfilm D9:21 Deaths 1866-1888 Microfilm D9:21 Deaths 1896-1941 Microfilm D9:21 Discharges 1861-1880 Microfilm D9:27-31 Discharges 1880-1948 Original GBO/9* Turton Goose Cote Hill Admissions 1839-1861 Microfilm D9:24 Births 1839-1858 Microfilm D9:21 Deaths 1839-1861 Microfilm D9:21 Discharges 1839-1861 Microfilm D9:24

http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/bolton-archives/archives-indexes/workhouse-registers/

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/Bolton/ for history and maps