Grantham Poor Law Union, Lincolnshire Genealogy

History
The early Grantham workhouse appears to have been a bequest of Francis Trigg of the Old Red Lion Inn in 1597 for the relief of the poor. The Inn was demolished and a brick and stone parish workhouse replaced it.

After the Poor Law reforms of 1834 and enactment of the Poor Law reform Act, the Grantham Poor Law Union was formed on 14 January 1836 to serve the needs of 52 local parishes in Lincolnshire and those bordering which were in Leicestershire. The new Union Work House was built in 1837 to the south-west of the town, to the west of the railway station and was built to house up to 300 paupers.

For more information see The Workhouse Site: Grantham Union Workhouse. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Grantham/ gives a February 1867 report: the conditions were execrable.

In March 1890, the Grantham Board of Guardians decided that a new workhouse was needed. The new building went up in 1891-2 at a site on the south side of Dysart Road to the west of the town. It was built to accommodate 200 paupers. The workhouse later became Hill View Hospital, but the buildings were demolished in the late 1960s.

Surviving records for this union including Grantham Poor Law Union Guardians' minute books (1863-1930); Service register (1862-1930); and some other miscellaneous documents are held by the Lincolnshire Archives St. Rumbold Street Lincoln, LN2 5AB (United Kingdom) e-mail: Archive@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Parishes in the Union
Ancaster, Lincolnshire Barrowby, Lincolnshire Bassingthorpe with Westby, Lincolnshire Belton (near Grantham), Lincolnshire Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire Bitchfield, Lincolnshire Boothby Pagnell, Lincolnshire Bottesford, Leicestershire Braceby, Lincolnshire Burton le Coggles, Lincolnshire Carlton Scroope, Lincolnshire Colsterworth, Lincolnshire Croxton Kerrial, Leicestershire Denton, Lincolnshire Grantham, Lincolnshire Grantham Grange, Lincolnshire Great Gonerby, Lincolnshire Great Ponton, Lincolnshire Haceby, Lincolnshire Harlaxton, Lincolnshire Harston, Leicestershire Heydour, Lincolnshire Honington, Lincolnshire Hough on the Hill, Lincolnshire Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire Kelby, Lincolnshire Knipton, Leicestershire Lenton, Lincolnshire Little Ponton, Lincolnshire Manthorpe with Londonthorpe, Lincolnshire Muston, Leicestershire Normanton, Lincolnshire Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire North Witham, Lincolnshire Pickworth, Lincolnshire Redmile, Leicestershire Ropsley, Lincolnshire Sapperton, Lincolnshire Skillington, Lincolnshire Somerby with Great Humby, Lincolnshire South Witham, Lincolnshire Spittlegate, Lincolnshire Stainby with Gunby St Nicholas, Lincolnshire Stroxton, Lincolnshire Welby, Lincolnshire Woolsthorpe with Stainworth, Lincolnshire Wyville with Hungerton, Lincolnshire