Poor Law Records
Kent Poor Law Unions are summarised below.
It also needs to be borne in mind when researching periods before the 1834 Act that there were several Gilbert (or similar) Unions in Kent. These were -
Canterbury;
Dover & Folkestone (Alkham, Buckland, Capel le Ferne, Charlton, Ewell, Eythorne, Folkestone, Hougham, St James Dover, Ringwould, River, Walmer and Whitfield);
Eastry (Betteshanger, Coldred, Eastry, Knowlton, Lydden, Northbourne, Sibertswold, Tilmanstone & Waldershare);
Faversham (Preston, Selling and Sheldwich).
Medway Union Baptisms
I've posted a few baptism records from Medway Union. These are in the Transcriptions section.
Workhouse Chapels
Included are details of the few surviving workhouse chapel registers (mostly baptisms). These can be immensely useful family history sources - if you can find the right ones!
Census Information
Sometimes workhouses are a bit elusive in censuses. I've included piece and folio numbers for some census years
Kent Poor Law Unions
| Union | Archive | Parishes |
| Ashford East (Workhouse at Willesborough) | Maidstone | Aldington, Bilsington, Bircholt, Bonnington, Brabourne, Brook, Broughton Aluph, Challock, Chilham, Crundal, Eastwell, Godmersham, Hastingleigh, Hinxhill, Hurst, Kennington, Mersham, Molash or Moldash, Orlestone, Ruckinge, Sevington, Smeeth, Wareborne, Willesborough, Wye |
| Ashford West (Workhouse at Westwell) | Maidstone | Ashford, Bethersden, Charing, Egerton, Great Chart, Hothfield, Kingsnorth. Little Chart, Pluckley, Shadoxhurst, Smarden, Westwell |
| Aylesford, North | See Strood | (Renamed Strood from 1884) |
| Blean (Workhouse at Herne) | Canterbury | Archbishop's Palace, Blean, Chislet, Christchurch, Hackington, Herne, Hoath, Reculver, St. Dunstan, St. Gregory, Seasalter, Staplegate, Sturry, Swalecliff, Westbere, Whitstable |
| Bridge | Canterbury | Adisham, Barham, Bekesbourne, Bishopsbourne, Bridge St. Nicholas Hospital, Chartham, Fordwich, Milton-next-Canterbury, Mint, Nackington, Patrixbourne, Petham, Stodmarsh, Thannington, Harbledown, Holycross, Ickham, Kingstone, Littlebourne, Lower Hardres, Upper Hardres, Westgate Without Waltham, Wickhambreux, Womenswould |
| Bromley | Bromley | Beckenham, Bromley, Chelsfield, Chislehurst, Cudham, Downe, Farnborough, Foots Cray, Hayes, Keston, Knockholt, Mottingham (from 1887), North Cray, Orpington, St. Mary Cray, St. Paul's Cray, Sidcup, West Wickham. |
| Canterbury | Canterbury | Canterbury (mostly), Staplegate (from 1910), Thanington Within (from 1910), Westgate Without (from 1910). |
| Cranbrook (Workhouse at Hartley) | Maidstone | Benenden, Cranbrook, Frittenden, Goudhurst, Hawkhurst, Sandhurst |
| Dartford | Maidstone | Ash, Bexley, Crayford, Darenth, Dartford, East Wickham, Erith, Eynesford, Farningham, Hartley, Horton Kirby, Kingsdown, Longfield, Lullingstone, Ridley, Southfleet, Stone, near Dartford, Sutton at Hone, Swanscombe, Wilmington |
| Dover | East Kent | Alkham, Buckland, Capel-Le-Ferne, Charlton near Dover, Coldred, Denton, Dover Castle Liberties, East Cliffe, East Langdon, Ewell, Guston, Hougham, Lydden, Oxney, Poulton, Ringwould, River, St James the Apostle (Dover), St Margaret-at-Cliffe, St Mary the Virgin (Dover), Sibertswold, West Cliffe, West Langdon, Whitfield, Wootton |
| Eastry | East Kent | Ash-next-Sandwich, Barfreston, Betshanger, Chillenden, Deal, Eastry, Elmstone, Eythorn, Goodnestone, Great Mongeham, Ham, Knowlton, Little Mongeham, Nonington, Northbourne, Preston-by-Wingham, Ripple, St Bartholomews Hospital, St Clement (Sandwich), St Peter (Sandwich), Sandwich, Sholden, Staple-next-Wingham, Stourmouth, Sutton-by-Dover, Tilmanstone, Waldershare, Walmer, Wingham, Woodnesborough, Worth |
| Elham | East Kent | Acrise, Cheriton, Elham, Elmsted, Folkestone, Hawkinge, Hythe St. Leonard, Lyminge, Lympne, Monks Horton, Newington, Paddlesworth, Postling, Saltwood, Sandgate, Sellindge, Stanford, Stelling, Stelling Minnis, Stowting, Swingfield |
| Faversham | Maidstone | Badlesmere, Boughton-under-Blean, Buckland, Davington, Doddington, Dunkirk, Eastling, Faversham, Goodnestone, Graveney, Hernehill, Leaveland, Luddenham, Lynstead, Newnham, Norton, Oare, Ospringe, Preston-next-Faversham, Selling, Sheldwich, Stalisfield, Stone-next-Faversham, Teynham, Throwley |
| Gravesend & Milton | Maidstone | Gravesend, Milton-next-Gravesend |
| Greenwich | LMA | Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich (to 1868) |
| Hollingbourne | Maidstone | Bicknor, Boughton Malherbe, Boxley, Breadhurst, Broomfield, Chart Sutton, Detling, East Sutton, Frinsted, Harrietsham, Headcorn, Hollingbourne, Hucking, Langley, Leeds, Lenham, Otterden, Stockbury, Sutton Valence, Thurnham, Ulcombe, Witchling, Wormshill |
| Hoo | Medway | Allhallows, Cooling, High Halstow, Hoo, Isle of Grain, Stoke. |
| Lewisham | LMA | Charlton (to 1868), Eltham, Kidbrooke (to 1868), Lee, Mottingham (to 1887), Plumstead (to 1868) |
| Maidstone | Maidstone | Barming, Bearsted, Boughton Monchelsea, East Farleigh, Hunton, Linton, Loddington, Loose, Maidstone, Marden, Nettlestead, Otham, Staplehurst, Teston, West Barming, West Farleigh, Yalding |
| Malling | Maidstone | Addington, Allington, Aylesford, Birling, Burham, Ditton, East Malling, East Peckham, Ightham, Leybourne, Mereworth, Offham, Ryarsh, Shipbourne, Snodland & Paddlesworth, Stansted, Trotterscliffe, Wateringbury, West Malling, West Peckham, Wouldham, Wrotham |
| Medway | Medway | Chatham, Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing, Rochester, St. Margaret's |
| Milton | Maidstone | Bapchild, Bobbing, Borden, Bredgar, Hartlip, Iwade, Kingsdown, Lower Halstow , Milstead, Milton-next-Sittingbourne, Murston, Newington, Rainham, Rodmersham, Sittingbourne, Tong, Tunstall, Upchurch |
| Romney Marsh | East Kent | 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 |
| Sevenoaks (workhouse at Sundridge) | Maidstone | Brasted, Chevening, Chiddingstone, Cowden, Edenbridge, Halstead, Hever, Kemsing, Leigh, Otford, Penshurst, Riverhead, Seal, Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks Weald, Shoreham, Sundridge, Westerham |
| Sheppey | Maidstone | Eastchurch, Isle of Elmley, Leysdown, Minster-in-Sheppey, Queensborough, St Thomas (Isle of Harty), Warden |
| Strood | Medway | Chalk, Cliffe at Hoo, Cobham, Cuxton, Denton, Frindsbury, Halling, Higham, Ifield, Luddesdown, Meopham, Northfleet, Nursted, Shorne, Strood |
| Tenterden | Maidstone | Appledore, Biddenden, Ebony, High Halden, Kennardington, Newenden, Rolvenden, Stoke-next-Tenterden, Tenterden, Wittersham, Woodchurch |
| Thanet | East Kent | Acol, Birchington, Minster St Peter, Monkton, Ramsgate, St John the Baptist (Margate), St Lawrence (Ramsgate), St Nicholas-at-Wade, Sarre, Stonar |
| Tonbridge | Maidstone | Ashurst, Bidborough, Brenchley, Capel, Hadlow, Horsmonden, Pembury, Speldhurst, Tonbridge, Tudely |
| Woolwich (from 1868) | LMA | Charlton, Kidbrooke, Plumstead, Woolwich |