Records of the KING'S LYNN POOR LAW UNION

They are grouped as follows:

Corporation of Guardians (pre 1834)

Relief

Poor Rate: St. Margaret's parish

South Lynn All Saints

West Lynn St. Peter

King's Lynn Union

<p>For records of the Guardians Committee No. 8 (including administration of King's Lynn and Gayton Public Assistance Institutions and boarding - out of children) see C/GC 8</p>

Records received by the Norfolk Record Office on 23 May and 18 July 1975 (C/GP13/863-988), and on unknown dates

King's Lynn Union Board of Guardians was replaced by Guardians Committee No. 8 in 1930.

The guardians of the poor for the parish of St. Margaret's King's Lynn were incorporated by an Act of Parliament of 1701. They inherited from the parish overseers St. James' workhouse or hospital in a former chapel which was supported by the poor rate and by the profits of a tax on imported sea coals. The parish of South Lynn was not mentioned in St. Margaret's Poor Acts and after prolonged disputes over liability for South Lynn paupers the parish authorities there had their own act passed in 1824. After 1834, when the Poor Law Amendment Act was passed the Guardians continued to exercise powers given them by the local Acts until these were repealed in 1875. The records are mainly earlier in date than 1930 when guardians' functions were transferred to local authorities.

C/GP 13/3-13, 53-55, 81, 82, 84, 85, 87, 91-202, 203A, 207-419, 570-632, 826, 833, 834, 838-841 are available on microform