Records relating to the Poor Law: Carmarthen Union and Llandeilo Fawr Union.
[NB Records of other Carmartheshire Unions will be added in due course].
Poor Law Records
This material is held atArchifau Sir Gaerfyrddin / Carmarthenshire Archives
- Reference
- GB 211 OD1
- Alternative Id.GB 211 POORLAW
- Dates of Creation
- 1836 - 1990
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English Cymraeg
- Physical Description
- 571 items
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, parishes formed unions; each union supported a workhouse. The Poor Law unions were administered by Boards of Guardians and (latterly) the Guardians Committee of the Public Assistance Committee of Carmarthenshire County Council. The Board of Guardians were elected by local landowners and rate-payers. In Carmarthenshire, the unions included Carmarthen, Llandeilo Fawr, Llandovery and Llanelli Unions. The Carmarthe Union workhouse at Penlan, Carmarthen, was used as an emergency hospital between c. 1941 and 1945; the hospital had an annex at Cilgwyn Llangadock, Carmarthenshire. The Llandeilofawr Union workhouse, Abercennen, was in Ffairfach, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire; the Union was formed in 1836. Abercennen (later a hospital) and Caeglas children's home were in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. In 1836, Llanelli Poor Law Union and Llandovery Poor Law Union were formed. In 1871, the Local Government Board Act established a central government department with responsibility for poor relief and public health. Medical duties and the care of children and the elderly were divided between the Ministry of Health, created in 1919, and the County Council Social Welfare Committee, by 1948. Before a new Social Services Committee was established under the Local Authority Social Services Act, the last meeting of the Health and Social Services Committee was held in January 1971. When the local government was reorganized in 1974, health functions were transferred to the Dyfed Area Health Authority.
Arrangement
Arranged into the following: Board of Guardian records (Carmarthen, Llandeilofawr, Llandovery, and Llanelli Unions); Penlan collection; vaccination records of Carmarthen Union; Abercennen (the former Llandeilofawr Union workhouse); Poor Law Strays from the Museum Collection; and miscellaneous. The Board of Guardians minute books relating to Llanelli Union, 1836-1930, are now at the Carmarthen Record Office outstore. They are not numbered.
Access Information
Mynediad Cyfyngedig / Restricted Access
Fe all eitemau sy'n cynnwys gwybodaeth am unigolion a enwir gael eu cyfyngu yn unol a Deddf Diogelu Data a pholisi Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin / Items containing information on named individuals may be restricted in accordance with the Data Protection Act and Carmarthenshire Archives policy.
Acquisition Information
Adnau preifat / Private deposit
Other Finding Aids
Mae copiau clawr caled o`r catalogau ar gael yn Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin ac yn y Gofrestr Cenedlaethol Archifau. Polisi Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin yw catalogio yn iaith y ddogfen / Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Carmarthenshire Archives and the National Register of Archives. It is the policy of Carmarthenshire Archives to catalogue in the language of the document.
Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements
Cyflwr da / Good condition
Archivist's Note
The following sources were used to compile this description: Carmarthenshire Archives Service, Catalogue of Poor Law Records; Lodwick, Joyce, Lodwick, Victor, The Story of Carmarthen (Carmarthen, 1994); Lloyd, John E., A History of Carmarthenshire, vol. I; vol. II (Cardiff, 1935, 1939); Oxford University website (users.ox.ac.uk), viewed 29 September 2003; Llanelli Historical Society website (www.llanelli-historical-society.co.uk), viewed 29 September 2003; Jones, Gareth Elwyn: Modern Wales. A concise history (Cambridge, 1994); Richards, Melville, Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units (Cardiff 1969); Nicholas, Thomas, Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County families of Wales (Baltimore, 1991 (fascimile of 1875 ed.); Carmarthen Record Office Survey of Archival Holdings; Collis, Kim, The West Glamorgan Archive Service, A Guide to the Collections (Swansea, 1998); Davies, William, Samuel, W., Llandeilo (Carmarthen 1993).
Appraisal Information
Mae'r holl gofnodiadau sy'n cydymffurfio â pholisi casglu Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin wedi eu cadw / All records which meet the collection policy of the Carmarthenshire Archives have been retained
Custodial History
Deposited by the Superintendent and the Superintendent of Cartref Tawelan Residential Home, Johnston, Carmarthen between 1961 and 1995.
Accruals
Mae croniadau yn bosibl / Accruals are possible