The first Board meeting of the Guardians of the Sheppey Union took place in September 1835 and the Union continued to be run by the Guardians until 1 April 1930 when its responsibilities were transferred under the Local Government Act of 1929 to Kent County Council. Under this new system the parishes which comprised the old Sheppey Union became part of the Faversham and District Area under the control of the Kent County Council Public Assistance Committee.
PARISHES WITHIN UNION
- Isle of Elmley
- Isle of Harty
The existing parish poorhouse at Minster was used as the Union Workhouse with numerous additions made of over the years.
On the 31st July 1914 the first troops to be billeted at the Workhouse were received and during October the inmates were removed to Milton Union with only accommodation reserved for urgent cases. The inmates began to return to the Workhouse in August 1919.
The workhouse buildings were taken over by Kent County Council in 1930 and became known as the Sheppey Public Assistance Institution. At a later date it was also known as the Minster Institution and Minster Hospital.
The remaining buildings are now privately owned.
BURIAL OF INMATES DYING IN THE WORKHOUSE
The normal practice for persons dying in the Workhouse was for them to be removed to their parish of settlement (if within the Union) for burial or in the parish where the Workhouse was situated, which for the Sheppey Union was Minster. If a person died in an institution which was situated out of the Union’s area they were normally buried in the parish of that institution.
Following the Burial Acts of 1852-1857 burials may also have taken place at a cemetery built and operated by the local Burial Board.
BAPTISM OF CHILDREN BORN IN THE WORKHOUSE
The Baptism of children born in the Union Workhouse would normally only take place under exceptional circumstances unless the licence given to the Chaplain of the Workhouse included permission to carry out baptisms in the Workhouse Chapel. Baptisms could also take place in the parish church closest to the Workhouse, in this case Minster, or the parish of settlement.
From 1 January 1905 the address recorded on the birth certificates of children born in the Workhouse was entered as “Cliff House, Minster”.
The children were educated in the Minster Workhouse but at various times were also sent to the local schools until 1896 when this became a permanent arrangement.
By October 1899 orphaned and deserted children were boarded out with foster parents where possible.
Children were also sent to other specialist institutions run by other Unions, charities or private individuals.
INMATES RECEIVED FROM OTHER UNION WORKHOUSES
INMATES SENT TO OTHER UNION WORKHOUSES
During October 1914 the inmates of the Workhouse were removed to Milton Union Workhouse following the occupation of the Sheppey workhouse by the Military.
LOCATION OF SURVIVING UNION RECORDS
Kent History and Library Centre, Maidstone, Kent
DOCUMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN TRANSCRIBED
Register of Births – 1835 to 1841
Minutes of the Board of Guardians – 1835 to 1841
– SEE “LIST OF SURNAMES”