I don't know exactly what happened in Sutton Bingham but Union Workhouses, like the one at Yeovil, were introduced as a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. Prior to that, Parishes maintained their own poor and many had Poor Houses for that purpose. After 1834 any poor of the parish unable to maintain themselves were supposed to be sent to the Union Workhouse and the Poor Houses were sold off with the proceeds augmenting the Poor Rate. They continued to be called "Poor House" or sometimes the "Old Poor House" . It was not unknown for them to have been bought by wealthier members of the parish and then rented out to the less well off! Pat ----- Original Message ----- From: <WLawday@aol.com> To: <eng-somerset@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 1:39 PM Subject: [ENG-SOM] SUTTON FARM, SUTTON BINGHAM - SAMUEL OSMOND >I find my ancestors Samuel and Ann OSMOND and children in 1841 at a farm > farmed by Edmund Laver and family, and next to the Rectory. Samuel was a > farm labourer. <snipped> > Also, in 1851 I find Samuel Osmond and family in the Poor House, Sutton > Bingham, [it's not very clear, but this is what it looks like] and > wondered if > anyone knows where this was. > > Thanks for any help or advice, > Wendy >