User Guide 22 - Paupers' Records
Revised: April 2002

Introduction

This User Guide details sources relating to the poor, including Poor Law, Guardians and Overseers records. See also User Guides 7 (Guilds), 9 (Medicine) and 14 (Law and Order) for related material.

Until 1597 there was no statutory poor relief, although parishes and religious houses dispensed alms and some ran 'hospitals' where paupers could gain relief. Following the Poor Law Act of 1597, parishes first appointed Overseers of the Poor, but it was the Poor Law Act of 1601 which formally constituted what became known as the 'Old Poor Law'. According to this second piece of legislation, parishes were responsible for levying a rate with which to dispense outdoor relief to their poor. Growing costs led to the Settlement Act 1662 which restricted relief to those paupers who could prove settlement in a particular parish.

The continued spiraling cost of administering the poor law eventually led to the Poor Law (Amendment) Act 1834, also known as the 'New Poor Law'. This created unions of parishes, each with a board of guardians. The unions provided both outdoor and more notably indoor relief to the poor, the latter via the workhouse system.

Unions and Guardians were abolished by the Local Government Act 1929 and their functions transferred to public assistance authorities run by county boroughs and county councils. These authorities were short-lived, however, and the poor laws were finally repealed in 1948. Note that the Old Poor Law continued to operate until this date as well as the New Poor Law; settlement cases can be found latterly in Petty Sessions records.

This user guide generally takes the reforms of 1948 as its end date, although later records are outlined in the case of some collections to indicate continuity.

Access to unlisted collections requires at least 2 days notice.
Permission may be needed to view some records referred to in this Guide.

Contents:

1. Regional sources
2. Gateshead
3. Newcastle
4. North Tyneside
5. South Tyneside
6. Sunderland

Note: sections B to F are divided under the following sub-headings: Parishes and Townships; Guardians / Public Assistance; Charities.

A. REGIONAL SOURCES

Asylum for Female Penitents for Northumberland and Durham, Newcastle and Gateshead

Financial / administrative records 1841-1919

[586]

Northern Counties Joint Poor Law Committee

Minutes 1912-1930

[227/79-93]

Northern Poor Law Unions

Conference reports etc 1918-1927

Poor law records 1890-1927

[604/902-909]

Petty Sessions courts

NB overseers and unions were accountable to the justices.

Registers include poor law cases to 1948

[MG/; see User Guide 14]

Quarter Sessions courts:

NB poor law cases were occasionally referred to quarter sessions, although this decreases with the formalisation of petty sessions courts in the mid 19th century

[QS/ ; see User Guide 14]

Children North East

Records, incl. homes 1888-1989

[CH/CNE]

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B. GATESHEAD

Parishes and Townships

Birtley St John / civil parish

Apprenticeship indentures 1886-1895

Overseers accounts 1797-1818

Poor rates 1848

Valuations 1833-1837

Vestry meetings 1818-1936

[CP/BI/1, 20-23]

Chopwell township

Overseers meetings 1856-1927

overseers accounts 1826-1849

[CP/CH, DX1048/1/1-2]

Gateshead St Mary / civil parish

Examinations / removal orders c1843-1848

High Ward out-relief book 1830

Low Ward payment accounts 1827-1828

Opinions re poor rate assessment n.d.

Overseers accounts 1910-1929

Overseers meetings 1869-1901, 1925-1927

Poor rate 1860

Valuation list c1826-1829

[3419/CXXIII (unlisted); CP/GA/1-6; T371/10-12; T440 (unlisted)]

Lamesley St Andrew / civil parish

Apprenticeship indenture 1761,1834

Bastardy bonds 1771-1819

Payments to paupers 1821-1831

Permission to pay relief 1796

Poor accounts 1814-1815, 1830

Poor distributions 1851-1864

Vestry meetings 1833-1886

[819; MF440-441, MF447]

Ryton civil parish

Correspondence re settlement appeal 1795

Overseers meetings 1914-1927

[CP/RY/2; T214/173]

Ryton Urban District

Poor rates 1914-1921

Unpaid rate statements 1911-1925

[UD/RY/41-42]

Whickham St Mary / civil parish

Overseers accounts 1725-1837, 1849-1927

Overseers meetings 1895-1904

Poor rates 1677-1926 (incomplete)

Vestry meetings 1818-1871

[CP/WH/2-3; T213/322-331, 412-488; MF901-903]

Whickham Urban District

Poor rates 1875-1926

Relieving officer's accounts 1881-1911

Vaccination registers 1872-1912

[T213/169-185, 278-331]

Winlaton township

Poor rates 1853, 1911-1927

Valuations 1869-1926

[T214/112-117, 132-133]

Guardians / Public Assistance

Gateshead Borough Council

Public assistance minutes 1929-1974

Slum clearance minutes 1930-1932

[CB/GA/44-49; HA/GA]

Gateshead Union

Children placed in homes 1906-1949

Correspondence etc 1837-1891

Guardians minutes 1836-1930

Plans of Poor Law Institution, 1922

[1266/27; T371]

Gateshead Union Workhouse (later High Teams Institution and Bensham General Hospital)

Admissions and other records 1921-1948

Papers re workhouse buildings 1885-1891

[HO/BS; T371]

Charities

Gateshead Dorcas Society

Minutes 1916-1936

[CHX32]

Guilds

Charity records (incl. poor relief)

[GU/ ; see User Guide 7]

King James' Hospital

Records, incl. membership 1800-1967

[CH/KJH]

Pickering Trust

Minutes 1888-1948

[CHX33]

Robert Spence Pensioners Charity

Records 1880-1938

[CHX26]

Thomas Powell's Almshouse Charity

Secretary's correspondence 1900-1913

[CHX34]

Winlaton Christmas Charity

Minutes and subscriptions 1863-1931

[CHX27]

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C. NEWCASTLE

Parishes and Townships

Benwell township / parish

Overseers accounts 1868-1913

Overseers meetings 1913-1914

Poor rates 1870-1900

Valuation lists 1884, 1888

Vestry meetings 1851-1908

[183/566-575; MF398]

Byker township / parish

Overseers accounts 1796-1805 1895-1907

Poor rates 1731-1891

Valuation lists 1880-1901

Vestry meetings 1820-1913

[183/576-606; 593/65; MF392-395]

Coxlodge township

Poor rates 1880-1901

[UD/GO/64]

East Denton civil parish

Overseers and assistants 1908-1920

Poor rate collection accounts 1917-1926

Vestry meetings 1870-1911

[CP/ED/1-5]

Elswick township / parish

Overseers meetings 1897-1914

Poor rates 1850-1880, 1906

Vestry meetings 1847-1872

[183/607-617, 850-853; MF395-397]

Fawdon township

Poor rates 1891-1896

[UD/GO/64]

Gosforth Urban District

Poor rates 1880-1928

Relief minutes 1914

[UD/GO/38, 64-65]

Heaton township / parish

Poor rates 1860-1890

Valuation list 1895

Vestry meetings 1890-1914

[183/618-622; MF398]

Jesmond township / parish

Overseers accounts 1821-1836

Poor rates 1851-1900

Vestry meetings 1867-1914

[183/623-633]

Newcastle All Saints parish

Agreement for poor house at Manors 1735

Applications for relief 1836

Apprenticeship register 1790-1844

Bastardy bonds 1783-1827

Charity school records 1807-1909

Examination books 1820-1837

Guardians meetings 1840-1848

Overseers accounts 1778-1914

Pandon Ward overseers accounts 1797-1808

Poor house accounts (incl. clothing) 1788-1835

Poor house admissions / discharges 1779-1809

Poor house minutes 1801-1828 (incomplete)

Poor rates 1766-1880; 1805-1811

Quayside ward overseers accounts 1796-1812

Removal orders 1771-1826, 1833-1836

Select vestry meetings 1819-1844

Vestry meetings 1766-1914

[183/1-188; 465/13-42; 466/10-12; 544/8; 595/54; E/NC36; T241; MF355-357]

Newcastle St Andrew parish

Overseers accounts 1903-1904

Poor rates and valuations 1811-1870, 1906

Valuation list 1895

Vestry meetings 1851-1882

[183/189-225, 854; MF388-392; MF1782]

Newcastle St John parish

Overseers accounts 1872-1901

Poor rates and valuations 1829-1907

Vestry meetings 1800

[183/234-299]

Newcastle St Nicholas parish

Apprenticeship register 1802-1844

Correspondence re poor relief 1817

Papers re apprenticeship case (Gloucester Quarter Sessions) 1724

Poor rates 1742-1911

Poor relief accounts 1791

Vestry meetings 1819-1914

[43; 183/300-537; 1236; MF371; MF382-385; MF657; MF1807]

South Gosforth township

Poor rates 1883-1902

[UD/GO/64]

West Brunton township

Township meetings 1872-1937

[T75/38]

Westgate township

Overseers accounts 1900-1914

Rate book 1861

Vestry meetings 1856-1904

[183/731-733]

Walker township / parish

Poor rates 1866-1882

[183/635-640]

Guardians / Public Assistance

Cottage Homes, Ponteland

See Newcastle Union

Highfield House

See Newcastle Union

Manors Poor House

See All Saints parish

Newcastle Borough / City Council

Maternity and child welfare records 1934-1944

Non-settled poor accounts 1922-1939

Public assistance, financial, relief and institutional records c1930-1948

Rate department poverty appeals 1914-1944

Vaccination registers 1935-1948

Vagrant's pass 1653

[51; 183/805-840; 392/4; 492/11-13; MD/NC/280-283]

Newcastle Union

Apprenticeship / children's records 1808-1930

Bastardy registers and orders 1844-1961 [568]

Birth registers 1840-1923

Chaplain's hospital reports 1921-1931

Committee (various) minutes (including some admissions/discharges/deaths) 1905-1930

Correspondence 1895-1923

Emigrants records 1922-1930

Financial and rating records 1838-1930

Guardians minutes 1836-1930 (sometimes include information concerning admissions/discharges/deaths)

Lunacy records 1848-1928

Medical / vaccination records 1907-1930

Miscellaneous printed material 19th-20th centuries

Old people's records 1895-1931

Property and institutions' records (incl. workhouse) 1752-1930

Records of the unemployed 1888-1928

Relief and resettlement records 1848-1930

Staff duties 1880-1896

Staff records 1873-1929

Vagrancy records 1864-1921

Workhouse inventory 1930

Workhouse punishment books 1893-1913, 1923-1936

[359; 444/12-13; 568; 1699; 3493 (unlisted); HO/NGH; T1]

Newcastle Union Workhouse (later Newcastle Wingrove Hospital and Newcastle General Hospital)

Administrative / property records 1868-1948

Deeds 1835-1901

Patient records 1889-1948

[646/1-16; HO/NGH]

Charities

Brandling Place Home for Penitent Women

Records, incl. minutes and reports c1860-1897

[584]

Cathedral Nursing Society for the Sick Poor

Reports 1886-1948

[CHX20]

Davisons' Hospital

Pay books 1727-1940

[595/36-40]

Dispensary

Administrative records 1777-1980

[HO/ND]

General Hospital

Minutes and inventory 1764-1785

[595/54]

General Soup kitchen

Financial records 1820-1901

Minutes 1862-1901

[CHX3]

Gosforth WJ Sanderson Home for Destitute Crippled Children (later Sanderson Hospital):

Administrative records 1890-1970

Financial records 1938-1948

Minutes 1904-1973

[HO/SA]

Guilds

Charity records, incl. poor relief

[see GU/ ; User Guide 7]

Holy Jesus Hospital

Lists of poor c1695-1801

Miscellaneous records 1683-1874

[595/49-51]

Hospital of the Blessed Virgin Mary (later St Mary the Virgin)

Acts 1846,1888

Deeds and rentals c1183-1952

Minute books 1882-1960

Miscellaneous property record 1810-1938

Printed material 1908, 1925

Register of leases 1575-1829

[158; 459; 1688; 1944]

Newcastle Aged Female Society

Minutes and financial records 1873-1995

[CHX5]

Newcastle City Relief Fund

Minutes and ephemera 1885-1886

[CHX30]

Newcastle Corporation

Records re various charities 1863-1956

[604/126-136]

Newcastle Ragged and Industrial Schools

Records, incl. admissions 1847-1970

[174]

Newcastle West End Poor and Aged People's Association

Minutes 1922-1964

[CHX8]

Poor Children's Holiday Association (later Children North East)

See Regional Sources

Poor Women's Lying-In Hospital (later Princess Mary Maternity Hospital

Records, incl. re patients 1760-1990

[HO/PM]

Rev William Turner's School

Pupil register 1785-1825

[2122; MF1216]

Richard Thompson's Bequest

List of applicants 1868-1869

Petitions for loans 1855-1872

[595/105-106]

St Mary Magdalene Home for Incurables

Records, incl. property / patients 1611-1932

[547; 595/52-53; 604; HO/HM]

Sir Thomas White's Charity

Financial records 1647-1884

[595/77-103]

Sir Walter Blackett's Hospital

Pay books 1727-1940

[595/36-40]

William Warmouth's Charity

Bond 1742

[595/104]

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D. NORTH TYNESIDE

Parishes and Townships

Backworth township

Overseers correspondence 1890-1911

[PU/TY/1 (unlisted)]

Camperdown civil parish

Poor rate 1905

[643/193]

Chirton township

Overseers meetings 1849-1908

Poor rates 1847 1850-1900

Valuations (supplemental) 1906-1908

[T22/1, 165-179, 275; T171/210]

Cullercoats township

Poor rates 1890-1907

Valuations 1906-1908

[T22/180-182, 272, 275]

Longbenton St Bartholomew parish

Overseers account 1779-1798

Poor rates 1779-1806

Vestry meeting 1713-1895

[MF497-498]

North Shields township

Poor rates 1816-1900

Valuations 1860, 1895-1908

[T22/183-212, 266-275; T45; T171/124-209]

Preston township

Poor rates 1860-1909 (incomplete)

Valuation 1860, 1906-1908

[T22/213-219, 265-274]

Tynemouth township / parish

Overseers accounts 1836-1843

Overseers meetings 1908-1927

Poor rates 1813-1901

Valuations 1860, 1896-1919

[T22/3-4, 18, 220-275A; T45; T171/1-122]

Wallsend St Peter parish / civil parish

Overseers accounts 1849-1864

Poor law rating papers 1895, 1907-1921

Poor rates 1838-1839

Valuation list 1858

Vestry meetings 1759-1939

[609/7-9; 1131/274-277; 1954; T14/69; MF506]

Wallsend Borough

Poor rates 1862-1865

[259/14-18]

Willington civil parish

Overseers accounts 1895-1911

Poor law rating papers 1895, 1907-c1917

[259/21; 1131/274-278]

Guardians / Public Assistance

Northumberland Village Homes

Records 1879-1960

Registers, financial / administrative material c.1890-1975

Reports, rules, photographs etc 1866, 1879-1956

[865; 1831 (unlisted); T375 (unlisted)]

Tynemouth Borough Council

Poor rate accounts 1908-1936

Public assistance correspondence 1929-1949

Public assistance minutes 1929-1948

[644/242-247; 1913/58; T22/292-295]

Tynemouth Union

Administrative / financial records, including workhouse (and see below) 1890-1951

Guardians minutes 1836-1931 (incomplete)

Paupers' outgoing book 1857-1859

Porter's book 1854-1855

Posters 1834-1843

Records re new nurses home 1926-1930

Staff service register 1894-1930

Vaccination registers (North Longbenton) 1877-1892

[1131; 1913/37; 2086; 2090; 3277 (unlisted); T286]

Tynemouth Union Workhouse (later Preston Hospital)

Financial / administrative records (incl. staff) 1899-1972

Master's records 1902-1949

Medical records, incl. vaccinations 1890-1951

Patients' registers, incl. admissions, births, deaths, lunatics 1866-1948

Plans c1930

Workhouse committee minutes 1884-1888, 1908-1929

[913; 1131, 1913/22-38; 1940; T286/2]

Charities

Royal Victoria Charity School

Minutes 1810-1836

[T83/15]

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E. SOUTH TYNESIDE

Parishes and Townships

Boldon civil parish

Poor rates 1914-1921

[UD/BO/58; T180/269]

Boldon Colliery civil parish

Poor rates 1914-1921

[UD/BO/58]

Harton civil parish

Poor rate c.1920

[T180/270]

Hedworth township

Poor rates 1855-1856, 1880, 1887-1900

[263/54-59; T23/139]

Jarrow St Paul parish / township

Overseers minutes and accounts 1908-1927

Poor rate 1787, 1880, 1887-1900

[263/54-59; 3419/CXIX (unlisted); T23/75-76]

Monkton township

Poor rates 1887-1906, 1914, 1919

[263/36-59; T23/140-141]

South Shields St Hilda parish

Apprenticeship indentures 1791-1800

Charity (incl. school) records 1769-1958

Overseers appointments 1902-1926

Poor law papers 1788-1917

Poor rates 1660-1791

Select vestry meetings 1824-1837

Vestry meetings 1794-1954

[T179/491-492; MF858-859; MF872-875; MF878; MF893]

Westoe township

Cash book 1804

Poor rate 1879

[T81/94; T180/187]

Whitburn civil parish

Overseers meetings 1923-1927

Poor rates 1914-1915

[CP/WB/12; UD/BO/58]

Guardians / Public Assistance

Cleadon Cottage Homes

Punishment book 1909-1949

Register 1920-c1944

[PU/SS/3; see also E/CL1]

South Shields Borough Council

Blind assistance sub-committee minutes 1929-1948

Case files 1933-1970

Public assistance minutes 1929-1948

[T179/417-419, 452-453; 227]

South Shields Union

Correspondence and scrapbooks 1836-1929

Guardians minutes 1836-1930

Objections to rating assessments 1914

Property papers 1876-1929

Securities register 1876-1897

Staff wages books 1923-1926

[PU/SS; T179/652; T180/304]

South Shields Union Workhouse (later Harton Institution and South Shields General Hospital)

Administrative records 1889-1948

Admissions / patient records (incl. lunatics, births, deaths) 1877-1948

Committee minutes 1875-1904

[PU/SS; HO/SSG]

South Shields and Westoe Dispensary

Minutes 1846-1874

[HO/ING/1]

F. SUNDERLAND

Parishes and Townships

NB Bishopwearmouth parish contained the townships of Bishopwearmouth, Bishopwearmouth Panns, Burdon, Ford, Silksworth, Tunstall and Ryhope; Monkwearmouth parish contained Monkwearmouth, Monkwearmouthshore, Fulwell, Southwick and Hylton townships.

Bishopwearmouth township

Apprenticeship indentures 1765-1920

Poor rates 1802-1831,1844-1891

Valuations 1862-1901

[209/89-94; 212; 849; T26/3-35, 162ff]

Ford township

Poor rates 1847-1914

Slum clearance files 1935-1939

Valuation lists 1862-1901 (incomplete)

[T12/109-176, 544-582; T26/163ff]

Fulwell township

Valuations 1863-1901

[T26/167ff]

Great Eppleton civil parish

Poor rates 1914-1915

[CP/GE]

Hetton-le-Hole township

Poor rate 1837

[T18/147]

Houghton-le-Spring St Michael and All Angels parish / civil parish

Overseers accounts 1774-1818

Poor rates 1914

Vestry meetings 1853-1927

[CP/HS; MF765]

Hylton township

Overseers accounts 1849-1885

Poor rates 1904, 19124, 1924

Valuations 1863-1895, 1906

[209/75; T12/114, 177-181; T26/168ff]

Little Eppleton township

Poor rates 1862-1866

[CP/LE]

Monkwearmouth township

Overseers accounts 1809-1837

Overseers correspondence 1833-1837

Poor house admissions / discharges 1813-1836

Poor rates 1781-1891 (incomplete)

Settlement examinations 1812-1822

Valuations 1864-1895

[209/95-102; T26/21-36, 171ff]

Monkwearmouthshore township

Poor rates and overseers accounts 1776-1806

Poor rates only 1842-1891

Settlement and bastardy papers 1807-1843

Valuations 1863-1895

[209/103-105; T26/2-37, 169ff]

Moorsley township

Poor rates 1821-1837

[T18/150]

Newbottle civil parish

Poor rates 1914

[CP/NE/2]

Offerton civil parish

Poor rates 1914

[CP/OF/2]

Ryhope township

Poor rates 1884-1924

Slum clearance files 1935-1939

Township meetings 1834-1894

Valuation lists 1864-1901

[209/76; T12/115-121, 182-220, 482, 584-635; T26/172ff]

Silksworth civil parish

Poor rates 1914

[CP/SI/4]

Southwick township

Poor rates 1837-1838

Valuations 1862-1901

[209/79; T26/164ff]

Sunderland Holy Trinity parish

Apprenticeship indentures 1765-1920

Overseers accounts 1807-1819

Overseers meetings 1885-1897

Poor house / governor's accounts 1809-1818, 1830-1837

Poor rates 1779-1818

Vestry meetings 1719-1918

[209/80-88; 212; 849; 1231; MF577-578]

Sunderland-near-the-Sea township

Poor rates 1838-1890

Valuation lists 1864-1895

[T26/1-287]

Tunstall township

Overseers accounts 1839-1907

Poor rates 1851-1924

Valuation lists 1862-1907 (incomplete)

[T12/122-129, 221-245, 377-380; T26/165ff]

Usworth Holy Trinity parish / civil parish

Poor rates 1837-1914

Relief accounts 1832-1857

Removal order 1834

Vestry meetings 1857-1894

[CP/US/1, 5; PU/CS/3-4]

Warden Law civil parish

Poor rates 1913-1915

[CP/WL]

Washington Holy Trinity parish / civil parish

Overseers accounts 1767-1835

Overseers papers 1844-1850

Poor rates 1829-1833, 1846-1914

Valuations 1908-1928

Vestry meetings 1823-1894

[PU/CS/5-6; MF774-775]

West Herrington civil parish

Poor rates 1914

[CP/WHG]

West Rainton civil parish

Poor rates 1914, 1926

[CP/WR]

Guardians / Public Assistance

Chester-le-Street Union

Poor rates (Barmston, Usworth, Washington only) 1837-1928 (incomplete)

[PU/CS]

Sunderland Borough Council

Public assistance minutes 1943-1947

[1481/1]

Sunderland Union

Contracts 1903-1938

Correspondence 1848-1872

Financial records 1837-1931

Guardians minutes 1839-1930

Lunacy records 1877-1916

Outdoor relief lists 1839, 1917-1940

Settlement records 1895-1914 (incomplete)

Staff records 1853-1912

[209/445-635]

Sunderland Union Workhouse (later Highfield Hospital)

Indoor relief lists 1866-1947

Inmate registers (incl. lunatics and deaths) 1866-1974 (incomplete)

List of officers 1895-1933

[1481/1-15; T87]

Charities

Bishopwearmouth St Thomas Parish Invalid Kitchen

Annual reports 1867-1944 (incomplete)

[CHX22]

George Hudson's Charity

Records, incl. admissions 1875-1966

[2017]

House of Recovery

See Sunderland Royal Infirmary

Humane Society

See Sunderland Royal Infrmary

Sunderland Independent Sick Society

Patients and relief register 1838-1919

[CHX17]

Sunderland Orphan Asylum

Records, incl. admissions 1861-1964

[2018]

Woodcock Charitable Institution Fund for Poor and Shipwrecked Mariners, Sunderland

Minutes 1843-1931

[CHX10]

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