Docking, Norfolk Poor Law Union

History

The earliest workhouse provision was that at Dersingham formed from neighbouring cottages
Under the Gilbert act in 1783 a workhouse was established at South Creake.
Gilbert's Act of 1782 allowed groups of parishes to set up a common workhouse for the old, the sick and the infirm. This provided a much cheaper procedure than was involved in promoting a Local Act.

Docking Poor Law Union was formed on 1st August 1835.

The new workhouse was built in 1835-6 on the Heacham Road to the west of Docking. The Poor Law Commissioners authorised an expenditure of £9,125 on construction of the building which was to accommodate 450. John Brown, the Norfolk county surveyor designed several other Norfolk workhouses at Blofield, Henstead and Yarmouth, as well as ones in Suffolk (Plomesgate, Stow), and Essex (Colchester).

Constituent parishes

Anmer, Norfolk,
Bagthorpe, Norfolk,
Barmer, Norfolk
Bircham Newton, Norfolk
Bircham Tofts, Norfolk
Brancaster, Norfolk
Broomsthorpe, Norfolk
Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk
Burnham Norton, Norfolk
Burnham Overy, Norfolk
Burnham Sutton, Norfolk
Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk
Burnham Ulph, Norfolk
Burnham Westgate, Norfolk
Choseley, Norfolk
Dersingham, Norfolk
Docking, Norfolk
East Rudham, Norfolk
Fring, Norfolk
Great Bircham, Norfolk
Heacham, Norfolk
Holme next the Sea, Norfolk
Houghton, Norfolk
Hunstanton, Norfolk
Ingoldisthorpe, Norfolk
North Creake, Norfolk
Ringstead, Norfolk
Sedgeford, Norfolk
Shernborne, Norfolk
Snettisham, Norfolk
South Creake, Norfolk
Stanhoe, Norfolk
Syderstone, Norfolk
Thornham, Norfolk
Titchwell, Norfolk
Waterden, Norfolk
West Rudham, Norfolk

Later Additions: Choseley, New Hunstanton

Records

Norfolk Record Office, The Archive Centre, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DQ. Holdings include: Guardians' minute books (1836-1922, 1925-30); Ledgers (1836-1930, with gaps); Workhouse admissions and discharges (1902-5, 1907-9, 1916-30); Children's Homes admissions and discharges (1915-37); Births (1837-1930); Deaths (1837-1914)