Norfolk: Poor Law

Mitford and Launditch Union 1835 - 1930

Union history

1835 - Became a Union. Old "House of Industry" became the Union Workhouse. It was formed from parishes in the Mitford and Launditch Incorporation and some additional parishes.
Description is in Whites 1845 directory.
1835 - 10 parishes from Eynsford Hundred added to Union marked "(*)" in table below.
1836 - Workhouse School established.
1838 - Graveyard ("Museum orchard" used from 1785) was now consecrated.
1851 - Industrial Farm.
1868 - Chapel Built.
1871 - Fever Ward built.
1900 - Burials ceased at site. Subsequently those who died were buried in their own parishes.
1930 - Union dissolved.
1930 - Renamed "Gressenhall Public Assistance Institution".
1933 - Kelly's directory describes it under "Norfolk No 10 Guardians Committee" as "The Institution available for 150 inmates".
1937 - Kelly's directory - as 1933
Called "Beech House" at some point after 1937.
1939-45 - WWII - Soldiers billeted for part of the war.
1948 - Housed "Old People", "Children" and "Homeless Families".
1975 - Closed and becomes a Museum of Rural Life, Beech House, Gressenhall, East Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4DR, [Map reference is TF976170].

Before 1835 some of these parishes belonged to Gilbert Unions, Incorporations or had their own Work or Parish House (WkHse) as shown.

Mitford and Launditch Union Places	Pre 1835 Union, Incorporation or Parish Work House
Bawdeswell (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Beeston (cum Bittering)	MitL-I
Beetley	MitL-I
Billingford (near East Dereham) (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Bilney, East (East Bilney)	MitL-I
Bintry (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Bittering Parva (Little Bittering)	MitL-I
Brisley	MitL-I
Bylaugh (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Colkirk	MitL-I
Cranworth	MitL-I
Dereham, East (East Dereham) (from 1836)	WkHse
Dunham, Great (Great Dunham)	MitL-I
Dunham, Little (Little Dunham)	MitL-I
Elmham, North (North Elmham)	MitL-I
Elsing (*)
Foxley (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Fransham, Great (Great Fransham)	MitL-I
Fransham, Little (Little Fransham)	MitL-I
Garveston	MitL-I
Gateley	MitL-I
Gressenhall	MitL-I
Guist (*)
Hardingham	MitL-I
Hockering	MitL-I
Hoe	MitL-I
Horningtoft	MitL-I
Kempston	MitL-I
Letton	MitL-I

Mitford and Launditch Union Places	Pre 1835 Union, Incorporation or Parish Work House
Lexham, East (East Lexham)	MitL-I
Lexham, West (West Lexham)	MitL-I
Litcham	MitL-I
Longham	MitL-I
Lyng (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Mattishall	MitL-I
Mattishall Burgh	MitL-I
Mileham	MitL-I
Oxwick	MitL-I
Pattesley	MitL-I
Reymerston	MitL-I
Rougham	MitL-I
Scarning	MitL-I
Shipdham	MitL-I
Southburgh	MitL-I
Sparham (*)	Bawdeswell-GU
Stanfield	MitL-I
Swanton Morley	MitL-I
Thuxton	MitL-I
Tittleshall	MitL-I
Tuddenham, East (East Tuddenham)	MitL-I
Tuddenham, North (North Tuddenham)	MitL-I
Twyford (*)
Weasenham All Saints	MitL-I
Weasenham St. Peter	MitL-I
Wellingham	MitL-I
Wendling	MitL-I
Westfield	MitL-I
Whinburgh	MitL-I
Whissonsett	MitL-I
Wood Rising	MitL-I
Worthing	MitL-I
Yaxham	MitL-I

"Bawdeswell-GU" = Bawdeswell Gilbert Union.
"MitL-I" = Mitford and Launditch 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 (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).

Books

Reid, Andy: The Union Workhouse
[ISBN: 0-85033-914-6: Phillimore, 1994]
Pope, Stephen: Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse: A History of the Buildings and the People Who Lived and Worked in Them
[ISBN: 0-94614-874-0: Poppyland Publishing, 2006]

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.