Workhouses and The Poor of Essex

During the medieval period, the care of the poor was a matter for the church, but by the early 17th century, the poor had become the responsibility of the parish where they lived or originated from. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, responsibility for the poor was removed from the individual parish. Groups of parishes were amalgamated into Poor Law Unions and an elected Board of Guardians were responsible for the Union Workhouse. Each parish had at least one representative on the Board. All other parish workhouses were then closed. The Boards were supervised and reported to the Poor Law Commissioners, later called the Poor Law Board, and then the Local Government Board.

A guide to related sources, a full list of the Essex Unions and the parishes within each of their boundaries and links to those Essex parishes incorporated in other counties.