| 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.
Wirral Poor-Law Union was formed on 16 May 1836, and included the following parishes and townships: Arrowe, Barnston, Bebington cum Bromborough (from 1922), Bidston cum Ford (until 1861), Birkenhead (until 1861), Brimstage, Bromborough (until 1922), Burton [nr. Neston], Caldy, Childer Thornton, Claughton with Grange (until 1861), Eastham, Ellesmere Port (from 1911), Frankby, Gayton, Grange, Greasby, Great Meolse (until 1894), Great Neston (until 1894), Great Sutton, Heswall cum Oldfield, Higher Bebington (until 1922), Hoose (until 1894), Hooton, Hoylake cum West Kirby (from 1894), Irby, Landican (until 1861), Ledsham, Leighton [nr. Neston] (until 1894), Liscard (until 1861), Little Meolse (until 1894), Little Neston (until 1894), Little Sutton, Lower Bebington (until 1922), Moreton (until 1928), Ness, Neston cum Parkgate (from 1894), Netherpool (until 1911), Newton with Larton (until 1889), Noctorum (until 1861), Overpool (until 1911), Oxton (until 1861), Pensby, Poulton cum Seacombe (until 1861), Poulton cum Spital, Prenton (until 1861), Puddington, Raby, Saughall Massie, Storeton, Thingwall (until 1861), Thornton Hough, Thurstaston, Tranmere (until 1861), Upton by Birkenhead, Wallasey (until 1861), West Kirby (until 1894), Whitby (until 1911), Willaston [nr. Neston], and Woodchurch.
The Union Workhouse was opened in 1837 at Clatterbridge, in the parish of Poulton cum Spital. After 1930 it became Clatterbridge County General Hospital, and later Clatterbridge Hospital. |