| Administrative History | The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 grouped parishes together into Unions for purposes of poor relief. The first meeting of the Board of Guardians for Belper Union took place in May 1837. In 1930 the functions of the Guardians were taken over by the Public Assistance Committee of the County Council; this continued until 1948 when the Poor Law was abolished by the National Assistance Act. The National Health Service, created in 1948, took over responsibility for the hospital; the Welfare Department of the County Council, later absorbed by the Social Services Department, took over non-hospital responsibilities.
The Union was divided into six registration districts (Alfreton, Belper, Duffield, Horsley, Ripley and Wirksworth). It contained the folllowing parishes or townships:
Alderwasley, Alfreton, Allestree, Ashleyhay, Belper, Crich, Denby, Dethick Lea and Holloway, Duffield, Hazelwood, Heage, Holbrook, Horsley, Horsley Woodhouse, Idridgehay and Alton, Kedleston, Kilburn, Kirk (and Meynell) Langley, Mackworth, Mapperley, Markeaton, Milford, Morley, Pentrich, Quarndon, Ravensdale Park, Ripley, Shottle and Postern, Smalley, Turnditch, Weston Underwood, Windley, South Wingfield, Wirksworth
The workhouse, after several delays, was finally completed in Sep 1840, on a 2.5 acre site at Babington Meadow. A hospital was built adjacent to it in 1889 with 106 beds, bringing the total capacity of the workhouse hospital to over 300.
After 1930, Derbyshire County Council took control of the site and the old workhouse became the Babington House Public Assistance Institution. During the Second World War, the hospital participated in the Emergency Medical Services scheme, then following the inauguration of the National Health Service in 1948, the institution was renamed Babington Hospital, providing care for 155 geriatric and 16 maternity patients. |
| Custodial History | These records were transferred by the County Welfare Officer into the Clerk's strongroom accommodation in 1950, with an additional transfer in June 1966. They were inherited records of the Welfare Department, which was later absorbed by the Social Services Department. |