Showing 14 results

Archival description
Governance

Comprises minutes of committee meetings of the York Poor Law Union (including the York Out-Relief Union, the Bishopthorpe Out-Relief Union, the Flaxton Out-Relief Union and the Escrick Out-Relief Union); and from 1930 the Public Assistance Committee.

Also includes the minutes of the Nuisance Removal Committee and the York Rural Sanitary Authority; and minutes of organisations administered by the York Poor Law Union including the York Charities Register Committee and Hodgson's Charity Committee.

Registration

Comprises records relating to the civil registration of births, deaths and marriages. Poor law unions were used as registration districts from 1837, when civil registration was introduced.

Includes the outgoing letterbooks of the Superintendent Registrar; and correspondence between the Superintendent Registrar of York and the Registrar General, London.

Finance and accounts

Comprises financial records relating to the general administration of the York Poor Law Union and Public Assistance Committee.

Includes financial statements; general ledgers; parochial ledgers; treasurers' ledgers; treasurers' receipt and payment books; invoices; petty cash books; receipts; and other account books.

For financial records relating specifically to outdoor relief see PLU/3/5

For financial records relating specifically to the collection of relief see PLU/5/10

Indoor (workhouse) relief

Comprises records relating to the admission, discharge and maintenance of inmates of the York Workhouse, which was later known at the City Institution and then The Grange). Relief granted within the workhouse was termed 'indoor relief' as opposed to 'outdoor relief' which was granted to the poor in their own homes (i.e.outside the Workhouse).

Also includes records relating to the staffing and administration of the Workhouse.

Outdoor relief

Comprises records relating to the administration of relief granted to the poor in their own home (i.e. outside the Workhouse, hence the term 'outdoor relief').

Includes application and report books, weekly outdoor relief lists, relief order books, relief granted on loan, relieving officers' receipt and expenditure books, relief in kind books and records relating to medical relief.

Comprises records relating to the collection of relief from liable individuals.

The York Poor Law Union (and later the Public Assistance Committee) attempted to recover money spent on relief that had been granted to the poor. They ordered individuals - usually liable relatives - to contribute towards the cost of maintaining those in receipt of poor relief. The collection of relief was administered by the Collecting Committee.

Includes order books, notices to contribute, payment ledgers, receipt and payment books, registers of insurance benefits and adjourned cases, claim made to the Ministry of Health, and Collectors' accounts and correspondence.

See also PLU/13/1 for legal cases relating to recovery of relief.

Comprises records concerning the settlement and removal of paupers under the York Poor Law Union and the Public Assistance Committee.

In order to have the right to claim poor relief a person had to have the right of settlement in a parish/ward in the area in which they were currently residing. Those who did not have the right of settlement could be forcibly removed.

Includes registers and accounts of non-resident and non-settled poor; and registers of removal orders and settlement enquiries.

Children

Comprises records concerning the welfare of children who came into the care of the York Poor Law Union and later the Pubic Assistance Committee.

Includes records relating to apprenticeships; registers of children boarded out and in farm service; register for enforcing school attendance; and correspondence concerning the boarding out of children.

Assessment and rating

Comprises records relating to the administration of the poor rate. The poor rate was a local tax on the yearly value of a property, levied by the parish. The money collected from poor rates was used to help finance relief for the poor as well as the infrastructure of administering that relief.

From 1837 to 1925 the York Poor Law Union was responsible for administering the poor rate, and from time to time other rates (such as the lighting rate).