Newport Board of Guardians Records

Records of Newport Poor Law Union, 1836-1950, including Guardians' minute books, 1836-1927; Guardians' agenda books, 1879-1930; committee minutes, 1842-1930; correspondence, 1836-1930; relief order books, 1912-1928; Relieving Officer's records, 1908-1930; District Medical Officer's relief books, 1881-1930; registers and returns, 1845-1927; financial records, 1836-1929; Caerleon Industrial schools records, 1860-1913; workhouse administration and related records, 1837-1950.

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. Newport Poor Law Union was formed in 1836 and operated in constituent parishes of Bedwas, Bettws, Bishton, Caerleon, Christchurch, Coedcernyw, Dyffryn, Goldcliff, Graig, Henllys, Kemeys Inferior, Llandevenny, Llangattock, Langstone, Llanfihangel Llantarnam, Llanhennock, Llanmartin, Llanwern, Llanvaches, Llanwern, Lower Machen, Machen, Magor, Malpas, Marshfield, Michaelston-y-Fedw, Mynyddislwyn, Nash, Newport, Penhow, Peterstone Wentlooge, Redwick, Risca, Rogerstone, St Brides Wentlooge, St Woolloos, Tredunnock, Whitson and Wilcrick in Monmouthshire and Llanfedw and Rhyd-y-gwern in Glamorgan. The parishes of Rumney and St Mellons, Monmouthshire, were added in 1895. The Union workhouse was built in 1837-1838 in Newport. 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.

Arranged into the following: General administration; Poor relief; Medical; Reports, registers and returns; Finance; Caerleon industrial schools; Workhouse administration.

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Source not recorded

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Gwent Record Office, Newport Board of Guardians, catalogue; The History of Poor Law website (http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/unions.html), viewed 23 September 2005.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available in Gwent Record Office.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at Gwent Record Office have been retained.

Accruals are not expected