Dear All
We've closed Admission and Discharge registers and Outdoor relief registers
relating to workhouses and Poor Law for 70 years. We will transcribe
information about specific cases for relatives but will not produce the full
register. The main reason for this is to avoid a member of the public
inadvertently (or deliberately) finding someone who they recognise or whose
family they know, and the possible upset this may cause.
Although this means valuable staff time (that we can ill afford) is taken up
with locating and transcribing information, I think in the long run it is
justified, for peace of mind.
Have a good Easter hols.
Sam Collenette
Bolton Archives and Local Studies
-----Original Message-----
From: Brough Paul [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 26 March 2002 11:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Poor Law &c.
I think Helen is right to have a wobble. The guidelines such as they are for
sensitive papers, which may amongst poor law and public assistance committee
records, do allow enough discretion to get one into problems.
Plymouth Record Office got into difficulties when I was City Archivist
there. It finally involved a junior health minister!
We were advised there was no extended statutory closure period but that a
judgement might be taken, after appropriate review of the relevant papers,
as to whether substantial harm might be caused by permitting access. We felt
they were OK on this basis. Unfortunately the records were used, in
conjunction with material held by other agencies, to cause (inadvertantly I
believe) personal anguish to several individuals.
Though we subsequently imposed a 100 year closure (which is itself probably
liable to challenge) we had our fingers burnt so badly we felt we had no
choice.
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: archives [ mailto:[log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ]
Sent: 26 March 2002 09:27
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Poor Law &c.
I'm just having a slight wobble about closure periods for records ... How
long do other people close "lunacy" records associated with the Poor Law
please ? Researchers tend to use the early records so it's not a problem
I've had before, but now interest is being expressed in early twentieth
century records. Am I missing some guidelines somewhere ?
Thanks for any advice/opinions
Helen Palmer
Ceredigion
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