Why look at Poor Law Records?
Some poor law documents can provide information on family relationships, and relationships between families and places, which is not available elsewhere. Before the census of 1841, they may be the only surviving record of the lives of ordinary labouring families apart from parish register entries. They may contain the only record of the movements of families between parishes and even from county to county, and of ancestors’ occupations and employers. They can provide a way of tracing poor ancestors through their trials and tribulations – unemployment, illegitimate pregnancy, desertion, illness and bereavement. But they are not only of use to those with pauper ancestors, for they provide information on parishioners from all levels of society. Remember first of all that even well-established tradesmen and farmers could be put out of business by a fire, an accident, illness or economic pressures, and become dependent temporarily – or permanently – on the parish. Tradesmen, farmers and min
