Anglesey Poor Law Unions

WalesAngleseyPoor Law Unions

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 all parishes in Wales and England were grouped together into Poor Law Unions. Each Poor Law Union had to provide a place where people who were unable to support themselves could live and work, known as the workhouse. Conditions in the workhouses were deliberately made to be harsh, spartan and degrading so as to deter all but the absolutely destitute.

Before the 1834 Act, although some workhouses did exist, individual parishes provided relief in the form of money, food, clothing or goods, but the recipients continued to live independently.

The Workhouse system was not abolished until the 1930s.

These Poor Law Unions were based on neither county boundaries nor national boundaries, with many Unions along the Wales-England border covering parts of both countries.

The county of Anglesey was covered by two Unions:

Union	Parishes & Townships included
Anglesey	The Anglesey Union was created on 1 June, 1837, covering the whole island, and comprised the parishes and townships of: Aberffraw (until 1852), Amlwch, Bodedern (until 1852), Bodwrog (until 1852), Ceirchiog (until 1852), Cerrigceinwen, Coedana, Heneglwys (until 1852), Holyhead (until 1852), Llanallgo, Llanbabo, Llanbadrig, Llanbedrgoch, Llanbeulan (until 1852), Llanddeusaint (until 1852), Llanddyfnan, Llandrygarn (until 1852), Llandyfrydog, Llaneilian, Llanerchymedd, Llaneugrad, Llanfachreth (until 1852), Llanfaelog (until 1852), Llanfaethlu (until 1852), Llanfair yn Neubwll (until 1852), Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf, Llanfairynghornwy, Llanfechell, Llanfflewyn, Llanfigael (until 1852), Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn (until 1852), Llanfihangel Trer Beirdd, Llanfwrog (until 1852), Llangadwaladr, Llangefni, Llangristiolus, Llangwyfan (until 1852), Llangwyllog, Llanllibio (until 1852), Llanrhwydrus, Llanrhyddlad (until 1852), Llantrisaint (until 1852), Llanwenllwyfo, Llanynghenedl (until 1852), Llechcynfarwy, Llechylched (until 1852), Penrhoslligwy, Pentraeth, Rhodogeidio, Rhoscolyn (until 1852), Trefdraeth, Tregayan, Trewalchmai (until 1852). The Workhouse was built about 1868 on the Amlwch Road in Llanerchymedd. The records of the Anglesey Union are held at Anglesey Record Office in Llangefni.
Holyhead	The Holyhead Poor Law Union was created on 29 September 1852, taking over the western part of the existing Anglesey Union, and comprised the parishes and townships of: Aberffraw, Bodedern, Bodwrog, Ceirchiog, Heneglwys, Holyhead, Llanbeulan, Llanddeusaint, Llandrygarn, Llanfachreth, Llanfaelog, Llanfaethlu, Llanfair yn Neubwll, Llanfigael, Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn, Llanfwrog, Llangwyfan, Llanllibio, Llanrhyddlad, Llantrisaint, Llanynghenedl, Llechylched, Rhoscolyn, Trewalchmai. The Workhouse was opened in 1868 in Valley, east of Holyhead. It later bacame the Valley Hospital but was later demolished. The records of the Holyhead Union are held at Anglesey Record Office in Llangefni.

See also

• Poorhouses, Poor Laws, etc.

External Links

• Workhouses (National Library)
• Poor Law Administration (National Library)
• Llanfyllin Workhouse restoration (BBC Wales)