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The Poor Law Unions of Hertfordshire

Watford Union

The Watford Poor Law Union comprises the parishes of Abbots Langley, Aldenham, Bushey, Rickmansworth, Sarratt and Watford.

From Atlas to the Topographical Dictionaries of England & Wales


Watford Union Workhouse 
in Vicarage Road
From 1896 Ordnance Survey ( (Godfrey Edition reprint)

The Unions were originally set up in the 1830's to run workhouses and look after the poor, and were later used as a basis for civil registration and the censuses. The following extract from the 1882 Kelly's Directory for Hertfordshire gives some idea of what they did.

See Aspects of Nineteenth Century Watford for a detailed account, with plan, of the establishment of the Workhouse 1835-1838

Web: The History of the Workhouse contains significant information about the workhouse.

WATFORD UNION

Board day - alternate Wednesdays at 11 am in the Board Room in the Workhouse. [These meetings would normally be reported in the local press]

The union comprises six parishes - viz Abbots Langley, Aldenham, Bushey, Rickmansworth, Sarratt and Watford; the population of the union in 1881 was 31,276; rateable value £156,759.

Clerk to the Guardians, Henry M Turner, 66 High Street.

Collectors of Rates, John Bonaker, Abbots Langley; Zachariah Hollier, Aldenham; John Middleton, Bushey; James Wellings, Rickmansworth; James Webb, Sarratt; William Graves, High Street, Watford.

Relieving Officers, T W Bailey, Watford; & T Paramor, Croxley Green.

Vaccination Officers, H Beeson, Bushey; Samuel Chivers, Rickmansworth; J Bonaker, Abbots Langley.

Medical Officers,

Abbots Langley district, R Wotton, Kings Langley.

Bushey District, G A Hicks MB; Bushey district.

Rickmansworth north district, A D Murry M B, Rickmansworth.

Rickmansworth south district, G W Whitely, LRCP Edin., Rickmansworth

Sarratt district, J Wrixon, Sarratt.

Watford distract. A. T, Brett, MD, Watford.

Public Vaccinators, A. T, Brett, Watford; G A Hicks, Bushey; A D Murray, Rickmansworth, F C Fisher.

Superintendent Registrar, Henry M Turner, 66 High Street.

Registrars of Births & Deaths,

Abbots Langley sub-district, John Bonaker, Abbots Langley.

Bushey sub-district, Henry Beeson, Bushey Heath.

Rickmansworth sub-district, Samuel Chivers, Rickmansworth.

Watford sub-district, William Graves, High Street, Watford.

Registrar of Marriages, John Squire, 7 Estcourt Road.

Workhouse, George Mount, master; Rev Henry Goodwin, MA, chaplain; A T Brett, MD, surgeon; Mrs Mary Mount, matron.

Kelly's Directory 1882

Similar information is recorded in each issue of Kelly's Directories for Hertfordshire


Shrodells - The Workhouse in Vicarage Road
from Watford - A Pictorial Record

The Workhouse New Year Treat, 1893

WATFORD possesses many warm­hearted sympathisers with the local poor. One of many indications of this was supplied by the large and influential company who assembled at the Watford Union Workhouse on the 17th ult., the occasion of the New Year's Treat to the inmates. Those who gave proof of their kindly interest in this laudable endeavour to brighten lives that are necessarily spent in the presence of very dismal surroundings, were the Rev. C. W. Neild (Chairman of the Board of Guardians) and Mrs. Neild, the Hon. Albertine Grosvenor, Mr. E. Henry Loyd and the Hon. Mrs. Loyd, Mr. W. R. Woolrych and Mrs. Woolrych, Mr. F. Sunmer Knyvett, Mr. W. T. Coles, the Rev. S. Buller, Mr. E. Ellis and Miss Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson (Bushey), Mr. C. A. Harris and Miss Harris, the Rev. H. Goodwin, Mr. and Miss Daw, Mr. Cullev, Mrs. and Miss Coles, the Misses Hill; Miss Neele, Mr. Wilbee, Mr. Clifford, etc. A familiar friend of the Watford poor, Mr. Noakes,  who had presided over similar gatherings during many previous years, was prevented being present owing to a slight accident. A very prominent part of the proceedings consisted of the distribution of prizes and toys to the children, the presentations being gracefully performed by the Hon. Miss Albertine Grovenor. Lord Ebury would have been present had his health permitted him. We are glad to note that the Watford Guardians adopt the system of sending the workhouse children out to school instead of educating them within a pauper school. The old people in the Watford workhouse are well looked after, and it is cheerful to know that the lives of the aged amongst the indigent are brightened by inexpensive luxuries, including tobacco for the men. I t is a pleasure to repeat and to emphasize the sentiment expressed by the Chairman of the Board, that the lives of those who go to the Union house, through no fault of their own, should be made as pleasant and as little irksome as possible. In the case of able-bodied and lazy rogues, of course no clemency should be allowed. Unquestionably, strict classification is needed to deal wisely with the indigent poor.

Hertfordshire Illustrated Review, February 1893 (page 120)

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