| AdminHistory | Poor Law Unions were established under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. This Act grouped individual parishes into unions, thus replacing the parish overseers of the poor. Unions could, if they wished, build workhouses. The unions were governed by Boards of Guardians. The Sheffield Poor Law Union comprised the parishes of Handsworth and the townships of Sheffield, Brightside and Attercliffe in the parish of Sheffield. Guardians were subject to an annual election.
Boards of Guardians were abolished in 1930 under the Local Government Act of 1929. Most of their functions were transferred to local authority Public Assistance Departments. Workhouses became known as Public Assistance Institutions.
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