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Bourne Poor Law Union

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Census

  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 615
1881R.G. 12 / 2557

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

  • As a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, some 37 Bourne-area parishes became part of the Bourne Poor Law Union on 25 Nov. 1835. The number of constituent parishes varied over the years as some amalgamated and new ones formed. The union covered over 90,900 acres.
  • There were four sub-districts: Corby, Deeping, Aslackby and Bourne.
  • The Aslackby sub-district included: Aslackby, Kirkby-Underwood, Falkingham, Laughton, Horbling, Billingborough, Semperingham, Dowsby, Rippingale, and Dunsby.
  • The Bourne sub-district included: Bourne, Hacconby, Morton, Edenham, Witham-on-the-Hill, Carlby, and Thurlby.
  • The Corby sub-district included: Corby, Irnham, Careby, Little Bytham, Castle-Bytham, Creeton, Swayfield, and Swinstead.
  • The Deeping sub-district included: Baston, Langtoft, Market-Deeping, and Deeping-St. James, and the extra-parochial tract of Deeping-Fen. In May, 1862, the sub-district and the Poorlaw district lost the parish of Deeping St. Nicholas to the Spalding Poorlaw Union
  • The new workhouse was completed in 1837, located at the end of St. Peter's Road on the west side of Bourne. It was designed to hold up to 300 paupers.
  • The Board of Guardians met every Thursday for many years. By 1900, they reduced this to every other Thursday at 11am.
  • In the 1920s, with modernisation of public welfare, the building became known as the Bourne Public Assistance Institituion, then Wellhead House. In the 1930s it became a hospital for mental patients. Most of the buildings were torn down in 2001.
  • Poorlaw records effectively end with 1930 when the old Poor Law statutes were replaced by the new Public Assistance acts.
  • The Lincolnshire Archives has the Bourne Poor Law Union Guardian Minute Books (1837-1930 with gaps); Admissions and discharges (1836-1930 with gaps - gap between 1861 and 1876); Births (1866-1930); Deaths (1866-1936).
  • Bourne Workhouse deaths 1866-1890 are included on the LFHS microfiche publication "Bourne Union Workhouse". Deaths from 1890-1936 have not been published but are at Lincolnshire Archives. The reference to the register for 1890 to 1917 is PL2/302/25. The 1890-1917 deaths and 1917-1936 deaths are available on the Lincolnshire Family History Pay Per View site.
  • The Lincolnshire FHS also has the Bourne Union Workhouse Minutes Volume 4 1877-1894 available. Visit them via the Societies page.
  • The Lincolnshire FHS has the Poor Law Miscellany Vol 1 (1 fiche) £1 (includes Bourne Workhouse Register of Births 1866-1879; Boston Borough Quarter Sessions Poor Law Documents 1719/20 to 1881; available via the Federation of Family History Societies Bookstore.
  • The Lincolnshire FHS also has the Poor Law Miscellany Vol 3 which includes Bourne Workhouse Register of deaths 1890-1917 available via the Federation of Family History Societies Bookstore.
  • In addition, the FHS has the Bourne Workhouse Girls School Admissions/Discharge register for 1850-1872, the Certificate Book of Detention of Lunatics for 1890-1902, both on microfiche available via the Federation of Family History Societies Bookstore.
  • Bourne Workhouse deaths 1866-1890 are included on the LFHS microfiche publication "Bourne Union Workhouse". Deaths from 1890-1936 have not been published but are at Lincolnshire Archives. The reference to the register for 1890 to 1917 is PL2/302/25. The 1890-1917 deaths and 1917-1936 deaths will be available on the Lincolnshire Family History Pay Per View site starting November 2003.
  • We also have a small text file of Bourne Union Minutes you can review (and add to!).
  • For more on LFHS and the Lincoln Archives have on Lincolnshire Poor Law records, see our Poorhouses page.

District Population

Year Inhabitants
180117,195
183117,174
184119,669
185122,362
187119,979
188118,918
189118,696
190117,573
191117,734

Bibliography

Staff and officers

  • 1842: W. D. BELL, clerk; Patrick McGOLDRICK, workhouse master. Relieving Officers: John ELLIS, John LENTON and W. SEWELL.
  • 1872: Thomas LAWRENCE, chairman of the Board of Guardians; Major PARKER, vice-chairman; Stephen SMITH, vice-chairman; John Leonard BELL, clerk; Charles WHITTLE, workhouse master; Mrs. Damaris WHITTLE, matron; Rev. William Wright LAYNG, chaplain. Relieving Officers: Richard WILLAM and W. CONINGTON.
  • 1882: Thomas LAWRENCE, chairman of the Board of Guardians; Major PARKER, vice-chairman; Stephen SMITH, vice-chairman; John Leonard BELL, clerk; Edgar JENNER, workhouse master; Mrs. Fanny S. JENNER, matron; James BURWOOD-WATSON, medical officer; Frederick VINTER, sanitary inspector; Rev. Hugh McNeill MANSFIELD, chaplain. Relieving Officers: William H. HODGKIN and W. CONINGTON.
  • 1889: John Leonard BELL, clerk; Col. Mildmay Willson WILLSON, treasurer; ; Rev. Hugh McNeill MANSFIELD, chaplain; James Watson BURWOOD, medical officer; Alfred YATES, workhouse master and Mrs. Elizabeth YATES, matron; Miss E. J. WAKELING, schoolteacher.
  • 1892: Thomas PICK, chairman of the Board of Guardians; Cecil Walker BELL, clerk; Col. Mildmay Willson WILLSON, treasurer; Alfred YATES, workhouse master; Mrs. Elizabeth YATES, matron; James Watson BURDWOOD, medical officer; Rev. Hugh McNeill MANSFIELD, chaplain. Relieving Officers: William WHITFIELD and Fred PENNINGTON.
  • 1900: Thomas PICK, chairman of the Board of Guardians; Cecil Walker BELL, clerk; Col. Mildmay Willson WILLSON, treasurer; Alfred YATES, workhouse master; Mrs. Elizabeth YATES, matron; James Watson BURDWOOD, medical officer; Rev. Hugh McNeill MANSFIELD, chaplain. Relieving Officers: William WHITFIELD and Fred PENNINGTON.
  • 1909: William HAYES, chairman of the Board of Guardians; Cecil Walker BELL, clerk; Charles Milne PEACOCK, treasurer; Rev. Arthur Giles MADGE, chaplain; John GALLETLY, medical officer; Alfred YATES, workhouse master; Mrs. Elizabeth YATES, matron.