Norfolk: Poor Law after 1834 Act
Kings Lynn Union

Union history

• 1835 - Kings Lynn Poor Law Union was formed from all parishes in the Kings Lynn Incorporation and some other parishes.
• Used old workhouses St James' hospital in St. Margaret and one in All Saints parish (South Lynn)
• Description is in Whites 1845 directory.
• 1856 - New "St James Workhouse" opened. Location is at Extons Road, Kings Lynn, PE30 5NU, [Map reference is TF623198].
• 1930 - Union dissolved.
• 1933 - Kelly's directory has under the section "Norfolk No 8 Area Guardians Committee" - "Poor Law Institution, Exton's Road erected in 1856 will hold 468 inmates; a new wing was added in 1902; an infirmary is situated a short distance from the main building".
• 1937 - Kelly's directory - as 1933 but includes entry for Institution at Gayton (old Freebridge Lynn Union)
• 1940's - Called "St James' Hospital" (NHS).
• 1980's - Closed.

Before 1834 some of these parishes belonged to Gilbert Unions, Incorporations or had their own Work or Parish House (WkHse) as shown.

Where "Kings Lynn-I" = Kings Lynn Incorporation.

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 (European records section)

1. Go down the "Historical Record Collections"
2. Select Title - "England, Norfolk Poor Law Union Records, 1796-1900"
3. Select "Browse through xxx images"
4. Under County pick - "Norfolk"
5. Under Poor Law Union select the "Required Union"
6. 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

Copyright © Mike Bristow.
May 2011