Manchester City Council

Please note that the closure of Manchester Archives and Local Studies will start to happen from 25 February as a result of Central Library's temporary closure for renovation and refurbishment in Spring 2010.

Information about Archives and Local Studies services while Central Library is closed.

More information about Central Library's temporary closure.

This is a guide to the poor law, workhouse and industrial school records held at Manchester Archives and Local Studies.

Poor Law Records can provide invaluable information about your ancestors and are important for the study of changes through time in the poor relief system and socio-economic history. The administration of the poor law can be divided into three periods:

• The Old Poor Law: pre-1834 the poor were the responsibility of the parish or township.
• The New Poor Law: between 1834-1930 the poor were the responsibility of the Poor Law Unions.
• Public Assistance Committee: between 1930-1948 poor relief was administered by the Public Assistance Committee of Manchester City Council.

Please note that some records which contain personal information of individuals that is less than 100 years old are on restricted access.

New - Google map showing the location of workhouses and other poor law institutions in Manchester.