Norfolk: Poor Law after 1834 Act

Freebridge-Lynn Union

Union history

1834 - Freebridge-Lynn Poor Law Union was formed.
1836 - Workhouse at Eastgate House, Eastgate Drove, Gayton, PE32 1QF, [Map reference is TF736211].
Description is in Whites 1845 directory
1930 - Union dissolved.
1933 - Kelly's directory has under the section "Norfolk No 8 Area Guardians Committee" - "The Institution built 1836 to house 131 inmates".
1937 - Kelly's directory - as 1933 - but under "King's Lynn" entry.
1930 - 1948 - "Public Assistance institution.
1948 - 1963 - County Home for old people.
1964 - Building sold called "Eastgate House".

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

Freebridge-Lynn Union Places	Pre 1834 Parish Work House
Acre, West (West Acre)
Ashwicken
Babingley
Bawsey
Bilney, West (West Bilney)
Castle Acre	WkHse
Castle Rising	WkHse
Congham
Flitcham cum Appleton
Gayton	WkHse
Gayton Thorpe
Gaywood	WkHse
Grimston
Harpley	WkHse
Hillington
Leziate
Massingham, Great (Great Massingham)
Massingham, Little (Little Massingham)

Freebridge-Lynn Union Places	Pre 1834 Parish Work House
Middleton
Mintlyn
Newton, West
Pentney
Roydon (near King's Lynn)
Sandringham
Setchey
Runcton, North (North Runcton)
Walton, East (East Walton)
Winch, East (East Winch)
Winch, West (West Winch)
Wolferton (or Wolverton)
Wootton, North (North Wootton)
Wootton, South (South Wootton)

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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If you use this information in your research, please say that it is from Genuki Norfolk.