FLINTSHIRE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECORDS

Scope and Content

Records of the Flintshire Public Assistance Committee and relief areas, 1926-1950, including general ledgers, 1937-1949; accounts of maintenance of boarded-out children, 1930-1948; registers of settlement cases, 1938-1950; indoor relief lists, 1931-1944; miscellaneous, 1931-1940; records of the relief areas, including Hawarden, 1926-1948; Holywell, 1930-1950; St Asaph, 1930-1949; and Overton and Ellesmere (Hanmer District) relief areas, 1927-1948.

Access restrictions apply to items less than 100 years old that contain personal information.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Boards of Guardians for the Poor Law Unions, established after the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, also had other duties, including registration of births, marriages and deaths, vaccinations, assessments of rates, sanitation, school attendance and infant life protection. From 1930, the roles of the Boards of Guardians were finally removed under the Local Government Act 1929, when powers were transferred to County and County Borough Councils. Poor Law functions were administered through Public Assistance Committees and Area Guardian Committees, each responsible for a number of unions and workhouses. Flintshire County Council's Public Assistance Committee took over the Hawarden, Holywell, St Asaph and Overton Unions, organised into four Relief Areas, subdivided into Districts; Overton Relief Area also covered the Hanmer District of Ellesmere (Shropshire) Poor Law Union. These responsibilities were removed following the creation of the National Health Service and other welfare provisions in 1948.

Arrangement

Arranged into the following: Public Assistance general records (PA/E); Hawarden Relief Area records (PA/A); Holywell Relief Area records (PA/B); St Asaph Relief Area records (PA/C); and Overton and Ellesmere Relief Area Records (PA/D).

Access Information

Access restrictions will to items less than 100 years old that contain personal information.

Note

Please order documents using the alternative reference number (where provided).

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Flintshire Record Office, Schedule of Public Assistance Records; GENUKI (UK and Ireland genealogy) website (http://www.genuki.org.uk/), viewed 12 January 2004; The Workhouse website (users.ox.ac.uk), viewed 12 January 2004; Rossbret Poor Law Unions Website (http://www.institutions.org.uk/poor_law_unions/index.html), viewed 12 January 2004.

Other Finding Aids

A hard copy of the catalogue is available in Flintshire Record Office.

Archivist's Note

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Flintshire Record Office, Schedule of Public Assistance Records; GENUKI (UK and Ireland genealogy) website (http://www.genuki.org.uk/), viewed 12 January 2004; The Workhouse website (users.ox.ac.uk), viewed 12 January 2004; Rossbret Poor Law Unions Website (http://www.institutions.org.uk/poor_law_unions/index.html), viewed 12 Jan 2004.

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Usual Copyright Restrictions Apply

Appraisal Information

All records deposited at Flintshire Record Office have been retained.

Accruals

Accruals are not expected.

Related Material

Board of Guardians Records, G

Geographical Names