Bedford Poor Law Union
This Union comprised the following parishes: Great Barford; Bedford; Biddenham; Bletsoe; Bolnhurst; Bromham; Cardington; Carlton; Chellington; Clapham; Colmworth; Cople; Eastcotts; Elstow; Felmersham; Goldington; Harrold; Kempston; Keysoe; Knotting; Melchbourne; Milton Ernest; Oakley; Odell; Pavenham; Ravensden; Renhold; Riseley; Roxton; Sharnbrook; Souldrop; Stagsden; Stevington; Thurleigh; Turvey; Wilden; Willington; Wilshamstead; Wootton; Yielden
AGREEMENTS (PUBA) 1911-1929: lease, mortgages, building contracts etc.
CORRESPONDENCE (PUBC) 1835-1919 : incoming letters 1835-1889 and outgoing letters 1835-1919
ESTATES (PUBE) 1906-1993 : including:
PUBE1: Kempston Lodge Children's Home (1910-1993)
PUBE2: 6 Prebend Street, Bedford (Relief Office) (1906-1923)
PUBE3: Bedfordshire County Council Estate (1930)
FINANCIAL RECORDS (PUBF) 1837-1930 : including the following series:
PUBF1: Financial Statements (1885-1905)
PUBF4: Statutory Financial Statements (1887-1928)
PUBF5: Financial Statement (Guardians) (1908-1909)
PUBF8: Clothing Materials Receipts & Conversion (1887-1921) material received and clothing made
PUBF9: Clothing Receipts & Expenditure (1885-1899 with gaps)
PUBF10: Provisions Receipts & Consumption (1895-1928 with gaps)
PUBF11: Casual Paupers' Provision Account (1887-1889)
PUBF12: Quarterly Abstract (1838-1845) statistics about numbers relieved, money spent etc.
PUBF14: Master's Day Book (1905-1907) weekly account of provisions and work, with tradesmen's names
PUBF15: Special Diets, Extras & Alternative Rations (1901-1902) inmates entitled to extra rations
PUBF16: Loans (1837-1951, 1890-1914) early loans to paupers and later loans for work on workhouse
PUBF18: Tobacco Account (1901-1921) with details on workhouse inmates in receipt of tobacco
PUBF19: Garden Account (1885-1902, 1917-1922) expenditure on seeds and pigs
PUBF20: Stone Account (1908-1923) amount of stone broken by workhouse inmates
PUBF21: Bedding Account (1887-1901) includes cloths, towels, curtains etc. and tradesmen received from
PUBF22: Leather Department (1862-1901) quantities of shoes made and repaired in workhouse
PUBF23: Necessaries & Miscellaneous Account (1901-1904)
PUBF24: Oakum Account (1885-1914) half year account for oakum picked at the workhouse
PUBF26: Relieving Officer's Account (1873-1876) for relief of the poor in their parishes
PUBF27: Bank Pass Books (Barnard's Bank) 1835-1838, 1857-1862
PUBF28: Annual Abstracts of the Separate Accounts of the Parishes (1848-1857)
PUBF29: Tenders for the Supply of Goods & Materials (1929-1930)
GENERAL LEDGERS (PUBL) 1835-1930
HEALTH RECORDS (PUBH) 1853-1947 : including the following:
PUBH4: Medical Officer's Reports (1873-1909) includes general workhouse conditions, names etc.
PUBH5: Workhouse Medical Relief Books etc. (1869-1914 with gaps) including names of patients
PUBH6: Records under Infant Life Protection Act 1897 & Children Act 1908 (1898, 1909, 1913-1914)
PUBH7: Register of Patients Recommended to the Governors of Bedford Infirmary by Board of Guardians (1854-1890)
PUBH8: Inspector of Nuisances Report Book: Town of Bedford (1853-1854) insanitary conditions etc.
PUBH9: Broadsheet: Instructions for Bathing of Inmates (1916)
PUBH10: Maternity Registers (1925-1947) with details of mothers name, circumstances etc.
MINUTES (PUBM) 1835-1930
COMMITTEE RECORDS (PUBMC) 1835-1928 : including the following:
PUBMC1: All Committees (1835-1846)
PUBMC2: Boarding Out Committee (1899-1904): including lists of children boarded out
PUBMC3-7: House Committee (1914-1928) day to day running of the workhouse
PUBMC8: School Attendance Committee (1877-1903) for all schools not controlled by School Boards
PUBMC11: Rota or Visiting Committee (1914-1928) reports on general conditions in the workhouse
PUBMC12-16: Assessment Committee (Rating & Valuation) (1862-1927)
RELIEF (PUBR) 1836-1929: including the following series:
PUBR1: Weekly Indoor Relief Lists (1836-1929) workhouse inmates and Kempston Lodge Children's Home 1915-1925
PUBR2: Outdoor Relief Lists (1875-1920) relief in the pauper's home parish
PUBR3: Relief Order Books (1874-1920) with lists of names etc.
PUBR4: Application and Report Books (1875-1920) details of applicants names, circumstances etc.
PUBR4/86-87: School Fees Application & Report Books (1883-1889) with details of names, circumstances etc.
VARIA (PUBV) 1835-1950: including the following record series:
PUBV1: Admission & Discharge Registers (1835-1950) workhouse admissions including names etc., North Wing Hospital admissions from 1947
PUBV2: Admission & Discharge Registers (Casuals) (1881-1927): names etc. of those admitted on a temporary basis
PUBV4: Weekly Returns - Form A (1892-1910): statistical returns of indoor and outdoor relief cases
PUBV6: Master's Report & Journal (1842-1928): weekly statistics and record of events at workhouse
PUBV15: Registration of Births: Vaccination Records (1880-1883): copy birth certificates with vaccination details
PUBV16: Register of Deaths of Children Under 12 Years of Age (1883-1885) returns made to Vaccination Officers
PUBV18: Visitors' Books (1836-1914): reports of Guardians' visits to workhouse
PUBV19: Alcohol & Tobacco Account Books (1890-1900, 1904-1907): includes age and circumstances of recipients
PUBV20: Chaplain's Journal (1887-1897)
PUBV22: Porter's Books (1887-1898, 1904-1905, 1912-1913, 1930)
PUBV24: Pauper Lunatics (1888-1913) including: claims for maintenance (1888-1897); Register of Defectives in the Institution (1920-1923); Examination Book (1870-1898); list of lunatics chargeable to the Union (1891-1897); Visiting Committee (1862-1892); Workhouse Lunatics Register (1913)
PUBV25: School Attendance Register (1892-1896): mostly girls
PUBV26: Parish Apprentices (1838-1913 with gaps): registers including names and circumstances
PUBV27: Register of Visits to Young Persons (1879-1905): names, circumstances and copious notes as to progress
PUBV28: Workhouse Punishment Book (1896-1912): with names, offences and punishments
PUBV29: Inventory Books (1871-1877, 1912-1924)
PUBV30: Inmates' Own Property Book (1911-1913)
PUBV31: Index to Registrar's Register of Births (1871-1872): names included
PUBV32: Life Policy Register (1857-1868): kept by Mr.Turnley, Solicitor of Bedford and unrelated to the Poor Law Union
PUBV33: Poor Law Board Orders (1851-1879): sale of parish property, emigration, appointment of officers etc.
PUBV34: Removal Orders (1835-1863): abstract of removals to and from Union parishes
PUBV35: Relief of Hunger Marchers (1924): Notice by the marchers notifying arrival of 180 marchers needing food and accommodation
PUBV36/1: Register of Births in Workhouse (1836-1857): names of child and parents and circumstances noted
PUBV36/2: Register of Births & Deaths in Workhouse (1915-1931): gives names and circumstances
PUBV37: Registers of Deaths in Workhouse (1835-1857, 1926-1945): gives names etc.
PUBV38: Admission & Discharge Registers (1939-1948): names, circumstances etc. described
DIRECTORS OF THE POOR OF THE TOWN OF BEDFORD (PUBZ) 1792-1834: including the following series:
PUBZ1: Minutes (1817-1827)
PUBZ2: Financial Records (1811-1818, 1828-1834)
PUBZ3: Settlement Records (1792-1834): including examinations and removals. These are all fully listed and indexed on our online catalogue.
PUBZ4: Bedford Poor Act 1794