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Radford Poor Law Union

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

  • Radford parish had its own workhouse prior to 1834. It was on St. Peter's street and was known for a while as "Peveril House." It was demolished around 1970.
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the Radford Poor Law Union was formed on 4 July 1836 to serve 4 local parishes in Nottingham. For more on the history of this Union, see the Peter Higganbotham website.
  • Parishes in Nottingham: Liberty of Brewhouse Yard, Lenton, Radford, Snenton.
  • In 1837, the new Radford Union workhouse was built at the south side of Outgang Lane in Nottingham.
  • Although the workhouse was built to house 200 inmates, the average number housed was less than half that most years.
  • In 1880, the Radford Union was dissolved and its member parishes absorbed by the adjacent Nottingham Union. The former Radford workhouse building was later used as a school for workhouse children.
  • In 1929, the Poorlaw Union concept was abandoned and the government began to introduce direct assistance via the county council in 1930.
  • In 1961, all the workhouse buildings were demolished.
  • Virtually no records survive from this Poorlaw Union.

Census

  • The Poorlaw Union was the census Registration District from 1841 through 1880. It made sense to use an existing political structure to manage the census.

District Population

YearInhabitants
18013,831
18115,704
18217,348
183116,568
184122,473
185126,776

Bibliography

  • Maurice CAPLAN, "In the Shadow of the Workhouse," 1984.

Staff and officers

  • 1853: Richard MORLEY, chairman; W. POWER, auditor; Edwin PATCHETT, clerk; Walter HOOTON, workhouse master; Selina HOOTON, workhouse matron; Emily THORPE, schoolmistress.
  • 1869: James WILSON, clerk to the guardians; Thomas DUFTY, workhouse master; Mrs. Martha DUFTY, matron; T. Appleby STEVENSON, medical officer; Joseph ROBERTS, relieving officer.