Preston Poor Law Union, Lancashire Genealogy

History
Preston had a number of local workhouses. The earliest, dating from around 1674, was situated at Avenham and was for the unemployed poor. In 1777 it could accommodate up to 90 inmates. A new building was erected in 1788 at the west side of Deepdale Road where Burrow Road now stands. In 1829, the House of Recovery, a fever hospital was opened just to the south of the workhouse — the institution had originally been established on 28th June, 1813, on a site near Trinity Church. Other township workhouses in the area included Penwortham (erected 1796), Walton-le-Dale (1796), Longton (1821), Ribchester (1823), Wood Plumpton (1824), Hutton (1825), and Howick (1827). The Hutton workhouse was located on Pope Lane.

Preston Poor Law Union was formed on 31st January, 1837. Like many parts of industrial northern England, Preston was opposed to the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act and its insistence on the establishment of a deterrent workhouse. The union's preference was to distribute out-relief in times of industrial slump, and for workhouses to be small and local. Following the formation of the Preston Union, the Howick, Hutton, and Longton workhouses were closed and sold off. Deepdale Road and Wood Plumpton stayed as mixed workhouses, Ribchester was used for adult males, Walton-le-Dale became the union's boys' school, and Penwortham was used for girls. The Union was criticized for provision by the Poor Law Commission and this lead to the building in 1865-8, of a new workhouse on Watling Street Road in Fulwood at the north of Preston. It was designed by Leigh Hall to accommodate up to 1,500 inmates. It was planned to cost £30,000 although the final total was in the region of £50,000. By 1870, the crippling loan charges against the project stood at £87,761.

Parishes
The constituent parishes in the union included: Alston Ashton_upon_Ribble_St_Andrew,_Lancashire, Barton,_Lancashire, Bretherton,_Lancashire,  Broughton,_Lancashire, Catforth, Cuerdale , Dilworth , Dutton , Elston , Farington,_Lancashire, Fishwick , Fulwood ,  Goosnargh,_Lancashire, Grimsargh and Brockholes Grimsargh,_Lancashire, Haighton , Hothersall , Hoole,_Lancashire, ( Little &amp; Much Hoole), Howick, Hutton; Lea , Ingol , and Cottam;  Longton,_Lancashire,  Penwortham,_Lancashire,  Preston_St_John,_Lancashire , Preston_Christ_Church,_Lancashire, Preston_Holy_Trinity,_Lancashire, Preston_St_George,_Lancashire Preston_St_James,_Lancashire Preston_St_Mary,_Lancashire Preston_St_Paul,_Lancashire Preston_St_Peter,_Lancashire,Ribbleton ,  Ribchester,_Lancashire, Samlesbury,_Lancashire,  Walton_le_Dale,_Lancashire ,  Woodplumpton,_Lancashire. Later Addition: Whittingham (from 1838).

Fulwood Workhouse
This impressive building opened its doors for the first time in 1868. It is situated in Fulwood, an area to the north of Preston, Lancashire. After the 2nd World War it changed its name to 'The Civic Hostel' and became a place for the destitute to stay overnight or until they could find other accommodation, and later a home for the elderly. It closed for a while in 1979 and later became the Headquarters of the Regional Health Authority. It is now Preston Business Centre of the University of Central Lancashire.

Records
The best-known workhouse records are the master's accounts. Some admission records survive, together with guardians' minute books and general ledgers. Those records that do exist can be found in the local record offices. • Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE. Holdings include Guardians' minutes (1838-1930); Workhouse births (1868-93); etc. • The parish registers of Christ Church Fulwood contain many baptisms of children whose parents were inmates of the workhouse.

Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
An extremely useful resource for research in Lancashire Parishes http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/

Websites
Peter Higginbotham’s Workhouses site has detailed maps and images of the Preston area workhouses http://www.workhouses.org.uk/