Norfolk Poor Law Unions and Incorporations before 1834

Gilbert's Act 1782 Unions

Houses of Industry arranged by location

• Acle
  A house of Industry was erected at Acle in 1788 for seven parishes, and to which 10 other parishes were united. This house was burnt down in Nov. 1834.
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• Aylsham Union
  See also Buxton entry.
  Books:-The Poor in Aylsham 1700-1836
  [Aylsham Local History Society]
• Bawdeswell
  Incorporated workhouse here for 7 parishes.
• Brinton
  The Brinton Union survived until 1869 after which its 2 parishes were added to the Walsingham Union.
  Parishes = Brinton and Melton Constable.
• Buxton
  This was part of the Aylsham Union which also included a House of Industry at Oulton (3.5 miles NW of Aylsham). House of Industry located at Buxton was for Brampton, Burgh St.Mary, Buxton, Hevingham, Marsham, Oxnead, Skeyton, Stratton Strawless, Swanton Abbot.
  This House of Industry was located to the S.E of Buxton about 0.5 mile outside the village and was subsequently demolished.
  See also Oulton and Whites 1845 directory description.
• Dereham, East
  was part of Gressenhall from 1776 to 1801.
• Diss
  Workhouse was built about 1730 and converted to Almshouses in about 1838 after parish joined the Depwade Union.
• Gimingham
  House of Industry located at Gimingham (built c.1805) was for the parishes of Gimingham, Knapton, Mundesley, North Repps, Overstrand, South Repps, Trimingham and Trunch all in Erpingham Hundred.
  See also Sherringham(Sheringham) and Whites 1845 directory description.
• Gressenhall
  All fifty parishes of the Hundreds of Mitford and Launditch which are:-
  Cranworth, East Dereham (part of-rest in Launditch), East Tuddenham, Garvestone, Hardingham, Hockering, Letton, Mattishall, Mattishall Burgh, North Tuddenham, Reymerston, Shipdham, South Burgh, Thuxton, Westfield, Whinbergh, Wood Rising, Yaxham, Beeston All Saints, Beetley, Brisley, Colkirk, East Bilney, East Dereham (part of-rest in Mitford), East Lexham, Gateley, Great Dunham, Great Fransham, Gressenhall, Hoe, Horningtoft, Kempston, Litcham, Little Bittering, Little Dunham, Little Fransham, Longham, Mileham, North Elmham, Oxwick, Pattesley, Rougham, Scarning, Stanfield, Swanton Morley, Tittleshall, Weasenham All Saints, Weasenham St. Peter, Wellingham, Wendling, West Lexham, Whissonsett, Worthing, were incorporated for the support of their poor in 1775. In 1801 East Dereham obtained an Act by which it was separated from the incorporation. The House of Industry located at Gressenhall was built in 1776/7.
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
  [Note that this building is now a Rural Life Museum]
• Heckingham
  This comprises all the 40 parishes of Loddon and Clavering Hundreds which are:-
  Alpington, Ashby, Bedingham, Broome, Carleton St. Peter, Chedgrave, Claxton, Ditchingham, Hardley, Hedenham, Hellington, Kirstead, Langley, Loddon, Mundham, Seething, Sisland, Thurton, Thwaite St. Mary, Topcroft, Woodton, Aldeby, Brooke, Bergh Apton, Burgh St. Peter, Ellingham, Geldeston, Gillingham All Saints & Gillingham St. Mary, Haddiscoe, Hales, Heckingham, Howe, Kirby Cane, Norton Subcourse, Raveningham, Stockton, Thorpe next Haddiscoe, Thurlton, Toft Monks, Wheatacre All Saints,
  and also Yelverton, in Henstead Hundred. These 41 parishes were incorporated, for the support of their poor, by act of parliament, in 1763, when they built a large House of Industry at Heckingham, with room for about 500 paupers.
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• Horsham St. Faith
  House of Industry built in 1805 for Coltishall, Catton, Crostwick, Drayton, Felthorpe, Hainford, Horsham and Newton St. Faith, Horsford, Horstead with Stanninghall, Rackheath, Salhouse, Spixworth, Sprowston and Taverham.
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• Kings Lynn
  Had its own workhouse from about 1701.
• Northwold
  had a Workhouse by 1787 with 13 people in it according to the 1787 census.
• Norwich
  Used St Andrews and Blackfriars Hall as Workhouse between 1702? and 1859 when new workhouse built in Bowthorpe Road, Norwich.
• Oulton
  This was part of the Aylsham Union which also included a House at Buxton (3 miles SE of Aylsham). House of Industry located at Oulton [Map ref TG156276] was for the parishes of Banningham, Blickling, Colby, Erpingham, Itteringham and Oulton.
  The house was originally a farm house and was altered in 1804. Subsequently it was enlarged in c.1836 when it became one of the Union Workhouses for the Aylsham Union. See also the above Buxton entry.
• Reepham
  Incorporated workhouse here for 4 parishes (probably Hackford, Kerdiston, Reepham and Whitwell).
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• Rollesby
  House of Industry for the Incorporated Hundred of East and West Flegg which covered the parishes of :-
  Ashby, Billockby, Burgh St. Margaret & St. Mary, Caistor next Yarmouth, Clippesby, East Somerton, Filby, Hemsby, Martham, Mautby, Oby, Ormesby St. Margaret, Ormesby St. Michael, Repps with Bastwick, Rollesby, Runham, Scratby, Stokesby with Herringby, Thurne (or Thirne), Thrigby, West Somerton, Winterton.
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• Sherringham (Sheringham)
  House of Industry located at Sherringham (built c.1805) was for the parishes of Aldborough, Aylmerton, Beckham (East), Beeston Regis, Cromer, Felbrigg, Gresham, Runton and Sherringham all in Erpingham Hundred.
  See also Gimingham and Whites 1845 directory description.
• Smallburgh.
  Opened about 1786 for 24 parishes from Tunstead Hundred which are:-
  Ashmanhaugh , Bacton, Barton Turf, Beeston St. Lawrence, Bradfield, Crostwight, Dilham, Edingthorpe, Felmingham, Honing, Horning, Hoveton St. John, Hoveton St. Peter, Irstead, Neatishead, Paston, Ridlington, Sco-Ruston (or South Ruston), Sloley, Smallburgh, Swafield, Tunstead, Westwick, Witton, Worstead.
  Note that this excludes North Walsham. See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• St Faith's Union
  See Horsham entry.
• Walsham, North
  Parish workhouse here before 1776.
• Wells next the Sea
  had a Workhouse in Parsonage Street in 1793 with 43 people in it according to the census of that year.
• Wicklewood
  All 24 parishes of Forehoe Hundred which are:-
  Barford, Barnham-Broom, Bawburgh, Bowthorpe, Brandon Parva, Carleton-Forehoe, Colton, Costessey (or Cossey), Coston, Crownthorpe, Deopham, Easton, Hackford, Hingham, Honingham, Kimberley, Marlingford, Morley St. Botolph, Morley St. Peter, Runhall, Welborne, Wicklewood, Wramplingham and Wymondham,
  except Honingham (in St Faith's Union) were incorporated in 1776 and the House of Industry was located at Wicklewood.
  See also Whites 1845 directory description.
• Winfarthing
  had a workhouse by 1811 with 29 named people in it as noticed in entry 68 on Page 41 of the 1811 census. See also the 1821 census when there were 21 named paupers.

Note that Houses of Industry was the term used before 1834 and then most of them became known as Union Workhouses.

Copyright © Mike Bristow.
August 2009