Poor law union records

The Record Office holds the records of the Poor Law Unions formed after the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. The following is a list of the main types of records which exist for each union. It is not possible at present to list every item in these collections, so if the document you are looking for does not appear on the list, please contact us as we may still be able to help you. Details also appear on the National Archives website which can be access from the link at the foot of this page.

Brackley Poor Law Union   Ref. PL1

• Guardians minutes 1835-1930
• Correspondence 1897-1927
• Financial papers 1835-1930
• Workhouse building 1835-1888
• Workhouse master's records 1836-1935
• Including Register of apprentices 1882 - 1927
• Register of admission and discharge registers 1914 - 1927
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1869-1932
• Including register of births 1910-1932
• register of deaths 1910-1931
• Religious creed register 1890-1934
• Outdoor relief records 1837-1930
• School attendance committee minutes 1897-1907 

Brixworth Poor Law Union  Ref. PL2

• Guardians minutes 1835-1930
• Correspondence 1889-1908
• Financial papers 1837-1848
• Workhouse building 1859 + 1919
• Workhouse master's records 1899-1934
• Including admission and discharge orders 1840; 1910-1935
• Medical Officer of Health records 1901-1934
• Including register of births 1837-1920
• Register of deaths 1914-1934
• Religious creed registers 1861-1920
• Outdoor relief papers 1837-1934
• Childrens' papers 1912-1930
• Vaccination records 1853-1856, 1882-1895
• School attendance records 1875-1877 

Daventry Poor Law Union   Ref. PL3

• Guardians minutes 1836-1930
• Correspondence 1879-1930
• Financial papers 1882-1930
• Workhouse building 1836-1914
• Workhouse master's records 1879-1936
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1896-1935
• Vaccination papers 1899-1930
• Religious creed registers 1902-1934
• Outdoor relief papers 1899-1928
• Childrens' papers 1901-1936
• School attendance records 1877-1903
• Hardingstone Poor Law Union PL4
• Guardians minutes 1835-1914
• Correspondence 1866-1911
• Financial papers 1835-1930
• Workhouse building 1899-1915
• Workhouse master's papers 1899-1925
• Including registers of admission and discharge 1903-1922
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1836-1924
• Including registers of births 1837-1922
• Registers of deaths 1836-1925
• Religious creed register 1900-1915
• Outdoor relief papers 1836-1930
• Childrens' papers 1921-1927
• Vaccination papers 1853-1923
• School attendance records 1877-1903 

Kettering Poor Law Union  Ref. PL5

• Guardians minutes 1836-1930
• Correspondence 1904-1919
• Financial papers 1865-1930
• Workhouse building 1904-1933
• Workhouse master's records 1874-1930
• Including admission and discharge registers 1907-1931
• Register of aliens 1916-1918
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1893-1938
• Including registers of births 1893-1912
• Registers of deaths 1893-1914
• Outdoor relief papers 1848-1930
• Childrens' records 1923-1930
• School attendance papers 1877-1884
• Vaccination records 1915-1927 

Northampton Poor Law Union  Ref. PL6

• Guardians minutes 1835-1929
• Financial papers 1835-1930
• Admission and discharge registers 1837-1933
• Registers of births 1837-1915
• Registers of deaths 1837-1915
• Outdoor relief papers 1900-1903 

Oundle Poor Law Union   Ref. PL7

• Guardians' minutes 1835-1930
• Correspondence 1878-1931
• Financial papers 1836-1930
• Workhouse building 1895; 1903-1928
• Workhouse master's records 1842-1930
• Including registers of admission and discharge 1836-1938
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1876-1930
• Including registers of births 1877-1913
• Registers of deaths 1848-1914
• Religious creed registers 1869 - 1914
• Outdoor relief papers 1841-11930
• Childrens' papers 1883-1929
• Vaccination records 1874-1928
• School assistance papers 1877-1896
• Public Assistance committee papers 1933-1949 

Peterborough Poor Law Union  Ref. PL8

• Guardians minutes 1835-1930
• Correspondence 1882-1901
• Financial papers 1836-1930
• Workhouse building 1923-1930
• Workhouse master's papers 1836-1938
• Including admission and discharge registers 1836-1930
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1836-1945
• Including registers of births 1836-1945
• registers of deaths 1836-1931
• Religious creed registers 1915-1945
• Outdoor relief papers 1912
• Childrens' papers 1869-1923
• School attendance papers 1877-1903
• Vaccination papers 1882-1918
• Public Assistance committee papers 1935-1941
• Notices of births at St. John's Hospital 1946-1947
• Thorpe Road House 1945-1946
• Register of deaths 1931-1939
• Notices of deaths at St. John's Hospital 1944-1945
• Thorpe Road House n.d. 

Potterspury Poor Law Union  Ref. PL9

• Weekly returns 1926-1930
• Buckinghamshire Record Office has Guardians minutes 1840-1930, and school attendance records 1887-1896 

Thrapston Poor Law Union   Ref. PL10

• Guardians minutes 1835-1930
• Correspondence 1887-1930
• Financial papers 1892-1930
• Workhouse building 1888-1933
• Workhouse master's records 1880-1934
• Including admission and discharge registers 1901-1933
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1839-1933
• Including registers of births 1839-1933
• registers of deaths 1837-1933
• religious creed registers 1914-1933
• Outdoor relief papers 1908-1933
• School attendance records 1877-1903
• Vaccination papers 1888-1930 

Towcester Poor Law Union   Ref. PL11

• Guardians minutes 1835-1930
• Correspondence 1878-1930
• Financial papers 1856-1930
• Workhouse building 1901-1902, 1914
• Workhouse master's records 1883-1930
• Including admission and discharge registers 1901-1929
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1837-1932
• Including registers of deaths 1837 - 1930
• Religious creed registers 1914-1930
• Outdoor relief papers 1893-1930
• Childrens' papers 1900-1923
• School attendance papers 1877-1903
• Vaccination records 1909
• Public Assistance committee records 1930-1932 

Wellingborough Poor Law Union  Ref. PL12

• Guardians minutes 1835-193
• Correspondence 1903-1926
• Financial papers 1854-1930
• Workhouse master's records 1898-1931
• Including admission and discharge registers 1896-1933
• Medical Officer of Health papers 1867-1931
• Including registers of births 1867-1914
• Registers of deaths 1867-1914
• Religious creed registers 1869-1920
• Outdoor relief papers 1906-1929
• Childrens' records 1902-1930
• Vaccination records 1879-1928
• Public Assistance Committee papers 1931-1947