New legislation was introduced in the form of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1868 (effective 1869) which required every workhouse master to keep a register recording the religion of every inmate. In the case of children under the age of twelve, the father’s religion was recorded in the register. If the father was not known then the mother’s religion was recorded as illegitimate children were assumed to follow their mother’s religion. One other important change was that the creed registers were kept at the gate to the workhouse so that local clergymen of whatever denomination, or legitimate parish ratepayers, could inspect the registers whenever needed.
It is these registers which are useful to family historians. Most were compiled alphabetically so they are easier to search than the admission and discharge registers which were maintained chronologically. From a practical viewpoint, the creed registers could also be used as an index to the admission and discharge registers.
Creed registers were often compiled on a weekly basis but included useful information:
- First and last name
- Birth date
- Next of kin, nearest relative, guardian or friend
- Religion
- Parish admitted from
- Date of admission
- Reason for admission
- Place
- Informant (the person who stated the religion)
- Whether discharged or died (sometimes a date of death is given)
The name of the parish where the person was living previously is extremely useful, bearing in mind the register was for the whole union, enabling you to research the parish registers. Some registers also record who ordered the person to be admitted.
A basic form of creed register was laid down by the Poor Law Board but as each Union compiled and printed its own registers, the actual content and the way the information was recorded varies. When creed registers were introduced, the names of inmates already in the workhouse were sometimes added retrospectively but many were not so reverting to the admission and discharge registers, if they survive, was the only way of establishing residency.
Where they survive you will be able to research creed registers alongside other Poor Law Union records within collections held mainly in local archives.
