Norfolk: Poor Law after 1834 Act

Downham Union

Union history

1834 - Downham Poor Law Union was formed.
1836 - Workhouse opened at Howdale Road, Downham Market, PE38 9AG, [Map reference TF613030]
Description is in Whites 1845 directory
1895 - West Welney (That part of Welney in Cambridgeshire was transferred to Norfolk and created as a separate civil parish - note not ecclesiastical).
1896 - Downham West was a civil parish created from Downham Market.
1909 - Note that Nordelph (in Wisbech Union) was created from parts of Denver, Downham West, Outwell, Stow Bardolph and Upwell.
1930 - Union dissolved.
1933 - Kelly's directory lists it following the heading "Norfolk No 9 Guardians Committee" as "The Institution at the entrance of the town from the London Road, will hold 153 inmates".
1937 - Kelly's directory - as 1933.
Also called "Howdale Home"
1968 - Many buildings demolished - some remain.
Pre 2007 - "High Haven" a Residential Home was built on part of the site.

Before 1834 some of these parishes had their own Work or Parish House (WkHse) as shown.

Places	Earlier Work or Parish House
Barton Bendish
Bexwell
Boughton
Crimplesham
Denver	WkHse
Dereham, West (West Dereham)
Downham Market	WkHse
Downham West (West Downham) (from 1896)
Fincham
Fordham
Hilgay	WkHse
Holme next Runcton (Runcton Holme)
Marham
Roxham
Runcton, South (South Runcton)	WkHse
Ryston
Shouldham
Shouldham-Thorpe

Places	Earlier Work or Parish House
Southery
Stoke Ferry
Stow-Bardolph	WkHse
Stradsett	WkHse
Tottenhill	WkHse
Wallington cum Thorpland	WkHse
Watlington
Welney	WkHse
Welney, West (West Welney) (from 1895)
Wereham
Wiggenhall St. German
Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen
Wiggenhall St. Mary the Virgin
Wiggenhall St. Peter
Wimbotsham	WkHse
Wormegay
Wretton

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 (UK+Ireland records section)

Go down the "Historical Record Collections"
Select Title - "England, Norfolk Poor Law Union Records, 1796-1900"
Select "Browse through xxx images"
Under County pick - "Norfolk"
Under Poor Law Union select the "Required Union"
Records are under headings such as "District, Workhouse & Unknown etc."

Other Websites

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

Further information can be found:

about locations in the Towns and Parishes pages.
about which hundred a parish occurs in.

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

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