Romney Marsh, Kent
Up to 1834
A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded a parish workhouse in operation at Lydd for up to 40 inmates.
A pre-1834 workhouse was located at Crockley Green to the south of New Romney. Newchurch had a poorhouse to the south-west of the village at Norwood, now the site of Norwood cottage. A house on St Mary's Road, St Mary in the Marsh, is also said to have been used as a local poor house, although the present owner of the property has found no evidence to support this assertion.
St Mary In The Marsh former poorhouse?, 2005.
© Peter Higginbotham.
After 1834
Romney Marsh Poor Law Union officially came into existence on 14th November 1835. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, one representing each of its 18 constituent parishes as listed below:
County of Kent: Blackmanstone, Brenzett, Brookland, Burmarsh, Dymechurch [Dymchurch], Eastbridge, Fairfield, Hope All Saints, Ivy Church [Ivychurch], Lydd, St Mary's [in the Marsh], Midley, New Church [Newchurch], New Romney, Old Romney, Orgarswick, Snargate, Snave, West Hythe.
The population falling within the Union at the 1831 census had been 4,859 — with parishes ranging in size from from Blackmanstone (population 5) to Lydd (1,357). The average annual poor-rate expenditure for the period 1833-5 had been £6,998 or £1.8s.10d. per head of the population.
The new Romney Marsh Union adopted the existing New Romney workhouse on Church Road. In 1836, the Poor Law Commissioners authorised an expenditure of £1,050 on enlargement of the building. The workhouse location and layout are shown on the 1907 map below:
Romney Marsh site, 1907.
From 1904, to protect them from disadvantage in later life, the birth certificates for those born in the workhouse gave its address just as Buttfield House, New Romney.
The workhouse buildings are believed to have been demolished in the 1950s and housing now stands on the site.
Staff
Inmates
Records
- Kent History and Library Centre, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, Kent (from Spring 2012). Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1835-1930); Ledger (1835-1930, with gaps); Births (1836-1930); Deaths (1836-1931); Admissions and discharges (1911-26); etc.
Bibliography
Links
- None.
This page () is copyright Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
