Blackburn Poor Law Union, Lancashire Genealogy

History
Early workhouses are described

In 1777 a township workhouse and later a township workhouse also operated at Over Darwen, at the western end of what is now Police Street.

Blackburn workhouse was erected in 1791 on Merchant Street (later Workhouse Lane, now Hutchinson Street), Grimshaw Park.

The Blackburn Poor Law Union formally came into being on 17th January 1837 and continued to occupy the existing Merchant Street building as the union's workhouse accommodation. In 1847, the Poor Law Commissioners recorded the union as operating a single workhouse with a capacity of up to 650 inmates, although an 1854 directory suggests that the average number of inmates was around 320. Blackburn Union eventually erected a new purpose-built workhouse on an elevated thirty-acre site on Haslingden Road to the south-east of Blackburn — its prominent location was said to have been chosen deliberately as a constant reminder of its presence to the local population. The foundation stone was laid on 20th April 1861 and it was ready for occupation on the 16th February, 1864. The buildings were designed by JE and JD Oates, cost £30,000 to build, and accommodated 1,000 inmates. In 1881,expansion included new wards for the mentally ill at a cost of £16,000. In 1888, a porter's lodge and weighbridge were built at a cost of £368, followed in 1889 by new stores costing £1,500. Later additions included a mortuary and a steam laundry. An 1894 Report records 162 sick patients were being treated. In 1903, a further new hospital wing was added at a cost of more than £12,000. In 1920, the innovation of a patients' cinema was installed. A wooden hospital was erected in 1925, with accommodation for 135 children and cost £2,400. The following year, a nurses' home for 80 nurses was opened costing £23,000. In 1926, a 74-bed annexe was added to the infirmary costing £11,700. In 1933, a bowling green was created for the use of patients. After 1929, the establishment came under the control of the County Borough of Blackburn and became known as the Queen's Park Institution. By then it was providing accommodation for 1,275 inmates, 100 casuals and 100 nurses. The former workhouse site became Queens Park Hospital Queen's Road Cottage Homes As well as the workhouse, from about 1892, the Union operated children's Cottage Homes on Queen's Road to the north of the workhouse. Modern housing now occupies the site.

Balderstone, Billington, Blackburn (5), Church, Clayton-le-Dale, Clayton-le-Moors, Lower Darwen, Over Darwen (2), Dinkley, Eccleshill, Great Harwood, Little Harwood, Livesay, Mellor, Osbaldeston, Oswaldtwistle, Pleasington, Ramsgrave, Rishton, Salisbury, Tockholes, Wilpshire, Wilton, Yate and Pickup Bank. Balderstone, Lancashire Bamber Bridge St Saviour, Lancashire Blackburn [St Mary], Lancashire Blackburn Holy Trinity, Lancashire Blackburn St John, Lancashire Blackburn St Michael and All Angels, Lancashire Blackburn St Paul, Lancashire Blackburn St Peter, Lancashire Church Kirk, Lancashire Clayton le Moors, Lancashire Feniscowles, Lancashire Great Harwood, Lancashire Langho, Lancashire Lower Darwen [St James], Lancashire Mellor, Lancashire Over Darwen [St James], Lancashire Over Darwen Holy Trinity, Lancashire Salesbury, Lancashire Tockholes, Lancashire Witton, Lancashire Yate and Pickup Bank, Lancashire

Records
• Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE. Holdings include Guardians' minute books (1837-1930); Death register (1914-30); Children's registers (1921-43); Various registers (1885-1949); Inmates' property register (1914-43); Cottage Homes committee minutes (1900-30); etc.

Websites
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Blackburn/Blackburn.shtml Peter Higginbotham’s site contains history maps and images of the Union sites.