Aston Poor Law Union, Warwickshire

History
Erdington, Warwickshire parish workhouse existed from the early eighteenth century. It stood opposite the village green, on a site later occupied by the Free Library.

A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded parish workhouses in operation at Aston (for up to 90) and Sutton Coldfield (up to 45).

Aston Poor Law Union was formed on 7th November 1836. Initially, the new Aston union took over the existing Erdington parish workhouse. opened in 1869, was designed by Mr. Yeoville Thomason who was also responsible for Birmingham's Council House, the Museum and Art Gallery, and the Jaffray Hospital.An infirmary was included.

In 1897, new tramp wards were erected in order to allow vagrants to be detained for two nights. A two-storey building for ten aged married couples, five on each floor, was also provided.

From 1904, to protect them from disadvantage in later life, the birth certificates for those born in the workhouse gave its address just as: 1 Union Road, Erdington.

Following a boundary reorganization in 1911, most of the Aston Union's parishes, together with those of King's Norton, became part of Birmingham Union. The workhouse buildings later became Highcroft hospital which provided psychiatric care. The surviving workhouse buildings have now been converted to residential use.

Aston Cottage Homes
Aston Union Cottage Homes were erected in 1898-9. Cottage Homes were intended to provide more amenable accommodation for groups or "families" of pauper children in "villages" of purpose-built houses. They were introduced in the late 1860s and modeled on similar schemes in France, Germany and Switzerland.

The Aston Cottage Homes were designed by Franklin, Cross and Nicholls at a total cost of around £61,000. The foundation stone was laid by James Evans, Chairman of the Guardians on 26th July 1896.

Constituent Parishes
Aston juxta Birmingham, Warwickshire Bordesley Holy Trinity, Warwickshire Bordesley St Andrew, Warwichshire Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire Curdworth, Warwickshire Duddeston cum Nechells, Warwickshire Erdington, Warwickshire Saltley, Warwickshire Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire see also Hill parish (Mere Green St James, Warwickshire) and Boldmere St Michael, Warwickshire Ecclesiastical parishes Walmley, Warwickshire Ward End, Warwickshire

Records
Birmingham Archives and Heritage Service, Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ. Holdings include: Guardians' minute books (1836-1912); Creed registers (early 1900s onwards); Various workhouse infirmary patient records (early 1900s to 1980s); Register of adopted children (1903-11); Register of deserted children (1897-1912); Cottage Home registers 1889-1924.

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