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Until 1834, every parish was responsible for funding the relief of its own paupers, and Stroud had a parish workhouse in Parliament St. on the site of St. Alban's church. The parish relief system was seen as unfair. An Act of Parliament of 1834 grouped parishes into Unions, which were collectively responsible for the poor in the area.
Stroud Union was made up of 15 Parishes, Avening, Bisley, Cranham, Horsley, Minchinhampton, Miserden, Painswick, Pitchcombe, Randwick, Rodborough, Kings Stanley, Leonard Stanley, Stonehouse, Stroud and Woodchester. It had a Board of 31 Guardians.
In 1837, the Board built a new workhouse on the north side of Bisley New Road to the designs of Charles Baker of Painswick, to accommodate all the paupers from the district. The building was later extended by W.H.C. Fisher c.1899, but ceased to be used as a workhouse in 1930, when the system was abandoned.
It was used to house American troops during World War II, and then used for museum storage.
From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local
History Society
Revised 2018 EMW
