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Norfolk: Poor Law

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Mitford and Launditch Union 1835 - 1930

Union history

  • 1835 - Became a Union. Old "House of Industry" became the Union Workhouse. It was formed from parishes in the Mitford and Launditch Incorporation and some additional parishes.
  • Description is in Whites 1845 directory.
  • 1835 - 10 parishes from Eynsford Hundred added to Union marked "(*)" in table below.
  • 1836 - Workhouse School established.
  • 1838 - Graveyard ("Museum orchard" used from 1785) was now consecrated.
  • 1851 - Industrial Farm.
  • 1868 - Chapel Built.
  • 1871 - Fever Ward built.
  • 1900 - Burials ceased at site. Subsequently those who died were buried in their own parishes.
  • 1930 - Union dissolved.
  • 1930 - Renamed "Gressenhall Public Assistance Institution".
  • 1933 - Kelly's directory describes it under "Norfolk No 10 Guardians Committee" as "The Institution available for 150 inmates".
  • 1937 - Kelly's directory - as 1933
  • Called "Beech House" at some point after 1937.
  • 1939-45 - WWII - Soldiers billeted for part of the war.
  • 1948 - Housed "Old People", "Children" and "Homeless Families".
  • 1975 - Closed and becomes a Museum of Rural Life, Beech House, Gressenhall, East Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4DR, [Map reference is TF976170].

Before 1835 some of these parishes belonged to Gilbert Unions, Incorporations or had their own Work or Parish House (WkHse) as shown.

  
Mitford and Launditch Union
Places		Pre 1835 Union,
Incorporation
or Parish Work House
Bawdeswell (*)Bawdeswell-GU
Beeston (cum Bittering)MitL-I
BeetleyMitL-I
Billingford (near
  East Dereham) (*)		Bawdeswell-GU
Bilney, East
  (East Bilney)		MitL-I
Bintry (*)Bawdeswell-GU
Bittering Parva
  (Little Bittering)		MitL-I
BrisleyMitL-I
Bylaugh (*)Bawdeswell-GU
ColkirkMitL-I
CranworthMitL-I
Dereham, East
  (East Dereham)
  (from 1836)		WkHse
Dunham, Great
  (Great Dunham)		MitL-I
Dunham, Little
  (Little Dunham)		MitL-I
Elmham, North
  (North Elmham)		MitL-I
Elsing (*) 
Foxley (*)Bawdeswell-GU
Fransham, Great
  (Great Fransham)		MitL-I
Fransham, Little
  (Little Fransham)		MitL-I
GarvestonMitL-I
GateleyMitL-I
GressenhallMitL-I
Guist (*) 
HardinghamMitL-I
HockeringMitL-I
HoeMitL-I
HorningtoftMitL-I
KempstonMitL-I
LettonMitL-I
Mitford and Launditch Union
Places		Pre 1835 Union,
Incorporation
or Parish Work House
Lexham, East
  (East Lexham)		MitL-I
Lexham, West
  (West Lexham)		MitL-I
LitchamMitL-I
LonghamMitL-I
Lyng (*)Bawdeswell-GU
MattishallMitL-I
Mattishall BurghMitL-I
MilehamMitL-I
OxwickMitL-I
PattesleyMitL-I
ReymerstonMitL-I
RoughamMitL-I
ScarningMitL-I
ShipdhamMitL-I
SouthburghMitL-I
Sparham (*)Bawdeswell-GU
StanfieldMitL-I
Swanton MorleyMitL-I
ThuxtonMitL-I
TittleshallMitL-I
Tuddenham, East
  (East Tuddenham)		MitL-I
Tuddenham, North
  (North Tuddenham)		MitL-I
Twyford (*) 
Weasenham All SaintsMitL-I
Weasenham St. PeterMitL-I
WellinghamMitL-I
WendlingMitL-I
WestfieldMitL-I
WhinburghMitL-I
WhissonsettMitL-I
Wood RisingMitL-I
WorthingMitL-I
YaxhamMitL-I

"Bawdeswell-GU" = Bawdeswell Gilbert Union.
"MitL-I" = Mitford and Launditch Incorporation.

Poor Law Records - Images

Online images of some poor law registers, admissions books etc. from 1796 to 1900 are available at the

  • LDS familysearch website https://www.familysearch.org/ (UK+Ireland records section)
  1. Go down the "Historical Record Collections"
  2. Select Title - "England, Norfolk Poor Law Union Records, 1796-1900"
  3. Select "Browse through xxx images"
  4. Under County pick - "Norfolk"
  5. Under Poor Law Union select the "Required Union"
  6. Records are under headings such as "District, Workhouse & Unknown etc."
  7. Alternatively use a search engine for "familysearch" "Norfolk Poor Law Union Records"

Other Websites

Acts, descriptions, maps, some pictures etc. can be found at :-
                www.workhouses.org.uk (The Story of Workhouses).

Books

Reid, Andy
The Union Workhouse
[ISBN: 0-85033-914-6: Phillimore, 1994]
Pope, Stephen
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse: A History of the Buildings and the People Who Lived and Worked in Them
[ISBN: 0-94614-874-0: Poppyland Publishing, 2006]

Further information can be found:

See also the Poor Law page and the Post 1834 Unions page

These pages are for personal use only. They may not be copied, and the links within them may not be harvested for use on your own web pages. Please see the Copyright Notice.

Copyright © Mike Bristow.
September 2014