A few years ago the Holmfirth Civic Society published a book about the operation of the poor laws in the Huddersfield area. The harsh regime was more or less mandated by the 1834 Act. Prior to that the local Guardians seem to have preferred to maintain the poor in their own homes. There was strong opposition locally including from many of the Guardians themselves - after one meeting 6 were charged with riotous conduct. The Guardians were able to frustrate the building of new workhouses for a couple of decades. AFAICS from the '41 & '51 census the Wooldale poorhouse still consisted of a row of 3 cottages each occupied by a single family. -- Ian The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang at austonley org uk