Gower Union Board of Guardians Records

Scope and Content

Records of Gower Poor Law Union and Glanymor Old Peoples' Home, 1861-1958, including minute books, 1896-1930; financial records, 1895-1930; records relating to the building of a workhouse at Penmaen, 1859-1901; inmate registers and records, 1869-1958; workhouse administration records, 1915-1950; parish valuations, 1895-1918; Gower Rural Sanitary Authority minutes, 1872-1892; newspapers, 1914.

Administrative / Biographical History

Until the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, relief of the poor was the responsibility of the parish. Following the Act, parishes were grouped into Unions that were charged to provide a workhouse for the relief of the able-bodied poor. Gower Poor Law Union was formed in 1857 from part of the Swansea Union and operated in the parishes on the Gower peninsula; Bishopston, Cheriton, Ilston, Knelston, Llanddewi, Llangennith, Llanmadoc, Llanrhidian Higher, Llanrhidian Lower, Nicholaston, Oxwich, Oystermouth, Penmaen, Pennard, Penrice, Port Eynon, Reynoldston and Rhossili. The Union workhouse was situated in Penmaen and accommodated 50 inmates. The Board of Guardians responsible for the Union had other duties from time to time, including the registration of births, marriages and deaths, vaccinations, assessments of rates, sanitation, school attendance and infant life protection. By the time of the Local Government Act 1929. Unions were abolished and their duties transferred to County Councils, with responsibility for the poor being transferred to the Public Assistance Committee until 1948. Penmaen workhouse became Glanymor Old Peoples' Home.

Arrangement

Arranged into the following: Minute books; Financial records; Title and building of workhouse; Administration - inmates; Administration and accounts; Second World War evacuation; Plans; Parish valuations; Gower Rural Sanitary Authority; Glanymor Old Peoples' Home; Daily Sketch.

Access Information

Items under 100 years old containing information on named individuals may be restricted in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Acquisition Information

It is the policy of the West Glamorgan Archive Service to withhold the names of depositors.

Note

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: West Glamorgan Archive Service, Gower Poor Law Union Board of Guardians, catalogue; The History of Poor Law website (http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/unions.html), viewed 27 October 2005.

Other Finding Aids

A hard copy is available at the West Glamorgan Archive Service.

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Appraisal Information

All records deposited at West Glamorgan Archive Service have been retained.

Accruals

Accruals are not expected

Geographical Names