Until 1845 relief of the poor was the responsibility of the Heritor’s and the Kirk Sessions. Following the Poor Law Amendment (Scotland) Act of 1845 Parochial Boards were set up in each parish to administer poor relief with the ability to raise taxes. Each Parochial Board had to keep a roll of the poor and the information in these records can vary greatly, from very basic to providing a wealth of information. Generally, they include the name, age, country and place of birth, marital status and details of spouse and children.
Normally people receiving poor relief were unable to support themselves, either through age or incapacity. They included orphans, the sick or disabled and the insane. The ‘sturdy beggar’ or the able-bodied poor, were not generally entitled to support and were indeed legislated against, although in practice many did receive some degree of assistance.
Some of the reasons for receiving poor relief can seem unusual today. The Inspector of the Poor and the Parochial Board could not legally grant relief unless some form of disablement could be shown, so you will find remarks in the disability column such as having children or being pregnant.
The poor relief records can either be in portrait or landscape format. Those in landscape format have two pages. While some records capture all of an individual’s poor relief applications, there may be several different records for other individuals.
If you have an Irish ancestor and cannot identify where they came from through their children’s birth certificates or from census records check to see if they have applied for poor relief.
The Stevenston Poor Relief Record for Terence Higgins provides details on the date he applied for poor relief, his address, age and place of birth, occupation, religion, marital status and date of marriage, his disability and the names of his parents. It also provides the name of his wife, her age and place of birth in Northern Ireland and the names of her parents. It also lists the names of all his children, their spouses and number of grandchildren and where they live.
The Stevenston Children’s Poor Relief Register provides details of the early life of John Dunn who was boarded out (fostered) in Arran until he aged out, whereas the Largs Poor Relief record for Janet McGilp reveals that she was raised by an aunt after being orphaned.
Where a poor relief applicant had recently moved to a new area, his previous parish was liable to pay the poor relief, so you may find that someone living in Dreghorn, was chargeable to Glasgow.
Poorhouse
The admittance and discharge records for Cunninghame Combination Poorhouse, 1 Bartonholm Road, Irvine, are held by Ayrshire Archives, 23 S Harbour St, Ayr KA7 1JA. Tel: 01292 616260. Email: archives@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
POOR RELIEF RECORDS
| Ardrossan | 1846-1925 | Kilmarnock | 1863-1925 |
| Beith | 1845-1925 | Kilwinning | 1839-1925 |
| Cumbrae | 1855-1925 | Kirkmichael | 1847-1925 |
| Dailly | 1855-1877 | Kirkoswald | 1839-1925 |
| Dalmellington | 1911-1920 | Largs | 1875-1925 |
| Dalry | 1886-1925 | Muirkirk | 1912-1920 |
| Dreghorn | 1872-1901 | Stevenston | 1856-1925 |
| Dundonald | 1845-1921 | Straiton | 1902-1925 |
| Irvine | 1827-1930 | West Kilbride | 1857-1861 |
| Kilbirnie | 1856-1903 |