Friday 26 October 2018

FindMyPast adds Waterford Poor Law Minute Books

The Waterford Poor Law Union Board Of Guardians Minute Books have been digitised, indexed and uploaded to FindMyPast's Ireland collection. The record set covers only the Waterford PLU and holds more than 229,000 records

A Board of Guardians was responsible for the administration and operation of the workhouse and Poor Relief projects within each Poor Law Union (PLU). The minutes of weekly meetings recorded how many men and women were housed in the workhouse, how many were discharged or died, and the number of births. They also recorded workhouse expenditures, along with the names of the workhouse suppliers. Outdoor relief was also noted in the minutes.

Researchers may find their ancestors named in the Minute Books for all kinds of reasons. They have been a mamber of staff, a Guardian, or a supplier of goods or services; they may have received outdoor Poor Relief for work such as breaking stones for pathways and roads. They may have paid or collected local rates, have been a workhouse inmate and have announced marriage to another inmate or requested assistance to emigrate, or they may have been an orphaned or deserted child or someone with special circumstances or needs.

Originals (and detailed Descriptive Lists) of the Waterford PLU Minute Books, as well as those for the PLU's of Dungarvan, Kilmacthomas and Lismore Poor Law Unions, are held by Waterford City & County Archives. The full collection will soon be available on FindMyPast.