Romney Marsh Union

The first Board meeting of the Guardians of the Romney Marsh Union took place in November 1835 and the Union continued to be run by the Guardians until 1 April 1930 when its responsibilities were transferred under the Local Government Act of 1929 to Kent County Council. Under this new system the parishes which comprised the old Romney Marsh Union became part of the Ashford and District Area under the control of the Kent County Council Public Assistance Committee.

PARISHES WITHIN UNION

Blackmanstone
Brenzett
Brookland
Burmarsh
Dymchurch
Eastbridge
Fairfield
Hope All Saints
Ivychurch
Lydd
Midley
Newchurch
New Romney
Old Romney
Orgarswick
St Mary in the Marsh
Snargate
Snave
West Hythe

THE WORKHOUSE

Prior to the purchase of an existing building in New Romney to accommodate the poor of the whole Union the inmates of the existing parish poorhouses were removed to the poorhouses of Brookland (subsequently removed to Lydd), Lydd and New Romney. The inmates of the Lydd and New Romney Workhouses were moved into the newly enlarged Union Workhouse in January 1837.

The workhouse buildings were taken over by Kent County Council in 1930 and due to their poor condition were sold, with the inmates being removed to the East Ashford and West Ashford Institutions.

The workhouse buildings have now been demolished.

BURIAL OF INMATES DYING IN THE WORKHOUSE

The normal practice for persons dying in the Workhouse was for them to be removed to their parish of settlement (if within the Union) for burial or in the parish where the Workhouse was situated, which for the Romney Marsh Union was New Romney. If a person died in an institution which was situated out of the Union’s area they were normally buried in the parish of that institution.

Following the Burial Acts of 1852-1857 burials may also have taken place at a cemetery built and operated by the local Burial Board.

BAPTISM OF CHILDREN BORN IN THE WORKHOUSE

The Baptism of children born in the Union Workhouse would normally only take place under exceptional circumstances unless the licence given to the Chaplain of the Workhouse included permission to carry out baptisms in the Workhouse Chapel. Baptisms could also take place in the parish church closest to the Workhouse, in this case New Romney, or the parish of settlement.

From 1 January 1905 the address recorded on the birth certificates of children born in the Workhouse was entered as “Butt Field House”.

CHILDREN

Education
The children from the Union Workhouse attended the National School in New Romney from November 1836.
Accommodation
From May 1910 to 1916 the children were removed from the Workhouse and sent to the Union’s Scattered Home at “Glen Morfa”, Spitalfield Lane, New Romney.

Children were also sent to other specialist institutions run by other Unions, charities or private individuals.

INMATES RECEIVED FROM OTHER UNION WORKHOUSES

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INMATES SENT TO OTHER UNION WORKHOUSES

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LOCATION OF SURVIVING UNION RECORDS

Kent History and Library Centre, Maidstone, Kent

DOCUMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN TRANSCRIBED

– SEE “LIST OF SURNAMES”