The workhouse at Ashton-under-Lyne was one of the few workhouse buildings still standing and formed part of Tameside General Hospital. The Master's house 'Fountain House' was occupied until 1950. Now with the 60th Anniversary of the NHS Tameside Hospital is undergoing a complete rebuild and these buildings have been destroyed. Unfortunately most of the documents relating to the workhouse were pulped in the 1950's. The Guardian's Minutes still survive and these can be seen at Tameside Local Studies and Archives Library in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Our Society produced a book in 2004 Census Returns 1841-1901 Ros Rafnson,our previous Group Leader's project attempting to provide Family Historians with some information about the inhabitants of the workhouse. There is a transcription of each return with an index of names for quick reference.
I spent some time this Summer (2008) photographing extracts from the Poor Law Union volumes at the National Archives hoping to fill in some of the remaining gaps which I hope to start writing up soon.
Copies of the book, priced £5.95 can be obtained by contacting David Johnson via our contact list menu.
