| Administrative History | The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act grouped parishes together into Unions for purposes of poor relief. The first meeting of the Board of Guardians for Hayfield Union took place in Dec 1837. In 1930, the functions of the guardians were taken over by the Public Assistance Committee of the County Council (Hayfield came under the N W Area). This continued until 1948, when the Poor Law was abolished by the National Assistance Act.
The Hayfield Union contained the following parishes or townships:
Beard, Ollersett, Whitle and Thornsett, Hayfield, Mellor (transferred to Cheshire in 1935), New Mills, Disley (Cheshire).
The workhouse was erected between 1839-41, west of the road from Low Leighton to New Mills. |
| Custodial History | These records were transferred to Derbyshire Record Office in Dec 1966. |