| 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. 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.
Formed in 1838, the Wortley Poor Law Union initially comprised the townships of Bradfield, Ecclesfield, Hoylandswaine, Hunshelf, Ingbirchworth, Langsett, Oxspring, Penistone, Tankersley, Thurgoland, Thurlstone and Wortley.
On 27 July 1849 the townships of Hoylandswaine, Hunshelf, Ingbirchworth, Langsett, Oxspring, Penistone, Thurgoland and Thurlstone were separated from Wortley Union and joined with Cawthorne, Clayton West, Denby, Gunthwaite, High Hoyland, Kexborough and Silkstone to form Penistone Union. From that date Wortley Union comprised Bradfield, Ecclesfield, Tankersley and Wortley.
A workhouse was erected at Grenoside in 1850-1. |
| Description | Plans prepared for Wortley Board of Guardians for poor rate valuation purposes.
Unless otherwise stated the plans are all paper on linen, coloured to a scale of 3 chains to 1 inch (1:2376).
The plans were prepared by Thomas Spooner, land agent and surveyor, Burton-on-Trent, using earlier surveys if available. They were updated in 1882 by Smith, Gotthardt and Co. of Bradford and in 1898 (works, quarries, colleries and railways only) by Thomas F. Hedley and Sons, Sunderland.
Buildings on the original survey are coloured red, 1882 additions are in grey and 1898 additions in green.
The plans bear 'received' date stamps of the Poor Law Board and Tithe Commission.
Bradfield and Smallfield;
Brightholmlee and Fairhurst;
Green, Holdworth;
Moorwood;
Onesacre;
Stannington;
Storrs and Dungworth;
Ughill, Worrall and Gate;
Oughtibridge Lane;
Southey and Shiregreen;
Wadsley, Whitley and Tankersley. |
| CustodialHistory | On the abolition of South Yorkshire County Council on 31 March 1986, these records passed from South Yorkshire County Record Office (SYCRO) to the custody of Sheffield Archives. This collection forms part of the County Collections, administered by Sheffield on behalf of the four South Yorkshire councils. |