| Administrative History | The Poor Law Amendment Act, 1834, removed the responsibility for the relief of the poor from the parish, and the overseers of the poor, to boards of guardians appointed to administer groups of parishes in poor law unions. These boards, which were responsible initially to the central Poor Law Commission, and, from 1847 to the Poor Law Board, were empowered to build union workhouses. Additional duties not related to the poor law were, from time to time, allocated to the guardians. These included the registration of births, marriages and deaths from 1837, vaccination from 1840, rate assessment from 1862, nuisance removal from 1860, public health as rural sanitary authorities from 1872, school attendance from 1876 and infant life protection from 1897. Rating duties were transferred to the district councils in 1925. The poor law unions in Cheshire, set up in 1836, were Bucklow (Altrincham prior to 1895), Chester, Congleton, Macclesfield, Nantwich, Northwich, Runcorn, Stockport, Tarvin (Great Boughton prior to 187 1) and Wirral. There were several boundary changes, generally involving townships lying on either side of the county boundaries. Unions were abolished in 1930, following the Local Government Act, 1929, their functions passing to the county council, through the Public Assistance Committee. Responsible to this committee were eight local area guardians' committees, appointed to supervise the institutions in each district. Finally, in 1948, the poor law system was abolished, hospitals being nationalised under the National Health Service and the local authority remaining responsible for the care of children and old people. The continuity of administration before and after 1930, and in some institutions after 1948 is reflected in the records.
Great Boughton Poor-Law Union was formed on 17 May 1837, and on 14 March 1871 its name was changed to Tarvin Poor-Law Union. It included the following parishes and townships: Aldersey, Aldford, Ashton, Bache, Backford, Barrow, Barton, Beeston (from 1892), Blacon cum Crabwall, Bridge Trafford, Broxton, Bruen Stapleford, Buerton [nr. Aldford], Burton [nr. Tarvin], Burwardsley (from 1892), Caldecott, Capenhurst, Carden, Caughall, Chorlton by Backford, Chowley, Christleton, Church Shocklach (from 1895), Churton by Aldford, Churton by Farndon, Churton Heath, Claverton (from 1860), Clotton Hoofield, Clutton, Coddington, Cotton Abbotts, Cotton Edmunds, Crewe by Farndon, Croughton, Dodleston (until 1853), Duckington (until 1853), Duddon, Dunham on the Hill, Eaton [nr. Chester] (until 1853), Eaton [nr. Tarporley] (from 1892), Eccleston (until 1853), Edge (until 1853), Edgerley, Elton [nr. Helsby], Farndon, Foulk Stapleford, Golborne Bellow, Golborne David, Grafton, Great Boughton, Great Saughall (until 1853), Great Stanney, Guilden Sutton, Handley, Hapsford, Harthill, Hatton [nr. Tattenhall], Hawarden [Flintshire] (until 1853), Higher Kinnerton [Flintshire] (until 1853), Hockenhull, Hoole, Horton by Malpas, Horton cum Peel, Huntington, Huxley, Iddinshall, Ince, Kelsall, King's Marsh, Lea by Backford, Lea Newbold, Little Saughall (until 1853), Little Stanney, Littleton, Lower Kinnerton (until 1853), Marlston cum Lache (until 1853), Mickle Trafford, Moston [nr. Chester], Mouldsworth, Newton by Chester, Newton by Tattenhall, Picton, Poulton (until 1853), Prior's Heys (from 1861), Pulford (until 1853), Rowton, Rushton (from 1892), Saighton, Saltney [Flintshire] (until 1853), Shocklach Oviatt (from 1895), Shotwick (until 1853), Shotwick Park (until 1853), Stanlow (from 1861), Stoke [nr. Ellesmere Port], Stretton [nr. Tilston], Tarporley (from 1892), Tarvin, Tattenhall, Thornton le Moors, Tilston, Tilstone Fearnall (from 1892), Tiverton (from 1892), Upton by Chester, Utkinton (from 1892), Waverton, Wervin, Willington, Wimbolds Trafford, and Woodbank (until 1853).
The Union Workhouse was opened in 1857 at Heath Lane, Great Boughton. After 1930 it became Tarvin House Hospital (later elderly persons' home), until it closed in the 1960s, and the buildings were demolished. |