Barrow upon Soar Poor Law Union, Leicestershire Genealogy

History
The Poor Law Union of which Barrow is the head, comprises 30 parishes and places, and contains a population of 19,695.

From A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 158-161. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50781 Date accessed: 17 May 2011.

Before 1765, Barrow, like other local villages Quorn, Mountsorrel, Sileby and Cossington, had a parish workhouse, which was in Sileby Road possibly opposite the large building which was once Driver’s factory. About 1782, Barrow and these other parishes “incorporated” to form the Barrow House of Industry to provide poor relief to paupers from these villages. The land and dwellings in Beveridge Street and Melton Road were purchased and used until 1840 for this purpose, by which time the Incorporation had grown to include over 30 parishes.

The Barrow upon Soar Incorporation, formed under the Gilbert Act preceded the formation of the Barrow upon Soar Poor Law Union on  11 September 1837, the Incorporation  workhouse continued to be used until 1840 opening of the Rothley site. The Governors of the new Union had acquired the old workhouse when the Incorporation was ended in 1837

In 1840 the Union workhouse was opened at Rothley and was built to house up to 300 people.

See also

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?BarrowUponSoar/BarrowUponSoar.shtml

Constituent Parishes
Anstey, Leicestershire Anstey Pastures, Leicestershire Barkby, Leicestershire Barkby Thorpe, Leicestershire Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire Beaumont Leys, Leicestershire Beeby, Leicestershire Belgrave, Leicestershire Birstall, Leicestershire Bradgate Park, Leicestershire Cossington, Leicestershire Gilroes, Leicestershire Leicester Abbey, Leicestershire Leicester Frith, Leicestershire Mountsorrel, Leicestershire Mountsorrel Christ Church, Leicestershire Newtown Linford, Leicestershire North Thurmaston, Leicestershire Queniborough, Leicestershire Quorn, Leicestershire Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Leicestershire Rearsby, Leicestershire Rothley, Leicestershire Rothley Temple, Leicestershire Seagrave, Leicestershire Sileby, Leicestershire South Croxton, Leicestershire Swithland, Leicestershire Syston, Leicestershire Thrussington, Leicestershire Thurcaston, Leicestershire Thurmaston, Leicestershire Ulverscroft, Leicestershire Walton le Wolds, Leicestershire Wanlip, Leicestershire Woodhouse, Leicestershire Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire