Norfolk children's homes and children in care

The Poor Law Unions were abolished in 1930, under the Local Government Act 1929.

Their duties and properties were transferred to Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council and Great Yarmouth County Borough Council.

The county council set up a system of 13 guardians' committees which reported to its public assistance sub-committee.

It appears that not all of the guardians' committees ran a children's home and those children who were not boarded out were accommodated in the public assistance institutions (the former workhouses).

The guardians' committees are listed in our online catalogue under the prefix C/GC and then the committee number. The committees are:

• Committee 1 - Covering Erpingham RDC, Cromer UDC and Sheringham UDC. The committee met at Beckham, Sheringham or Cromer.
• Committee 2 - St Faith's and Aylsham RDC. It met at Aylsham or Norwich.
• Committee 3 - Blofield and Flegg RDC. It met at Lingwood or Rollesby.
• Committee 4 - Smallburgh RDC and North Walsham UDC. It met at North Walsham or Stalham.
• Committee 5 - Forehoe and Henstead RDC and Wymondham UDC. It met at Norwich or Wymondham.
• Committee 6 - Docking RDC and Hunstanton UDC. It met at Docking.
• Committee 7 - Walsingham RDC and Wells UDC. It met at Fakenham or Snoring.
• Committee 8 - Freebridge Lynn RDC and King's Lynn Borough. It met at Gayton or King's Lynn.
• Committee 9 - Downham RDC, Marshland RDC and Downham Market UDC. It met at Downham Market or Walsoken.
• Committee 10 - Mitford and Launditch RDC and East Dereham UDC. It met at East Dereham or Gressenhall.
• Committee 11 - Swaffham UDC, Swaffham RDC, Thetford Borough and Wayland RDC. It met at Swaffham or Thetford.
• Committee 12 - Depwade RDC and Diss UDC. It met at Pulham St Mary.
• Committee 13 - Loddon and Clavering RDC. It met at Heckingham.

Records, 1930-1948

• Public assistance sub-committee (to which guardians' committees reported), 1930-48 (C/C 10/453-472).
• Public assistance children's care committee, 1946-47 (C/C 10/473).
• Guardians' committees 1 to 13 (see C/GC lists for detail).
• Guardians' committee No 1 children's home (Old Rectory, Gresham) committee minutes, 1938-48 (C/GC 1/7).
• Guardians' committee No 1 medical officer's register of examinations of children in West Beckham Institution, 1934-38 (C/GP 6/198).
• Guardians' committee No 2 boarding out sub-committee minutes, 1930-47 (C/GC 2/10).
• Guardians' committee No 3 boarding out sub-committee minutes, 1940-47 (C/GC 3/7)
• Guardians' committee No 4 children's home (North Walsham) committee minutes, 1930-48 (C/GC 4/8-11)
• Guardians' committee No 5 boarding out sub-committee minutes, 1930-47 (C/GC 5/9).
• Guardians' committee No 5 correspondence, reports etc. re boarded out children, 1936-37 (C/GC 5/13).
• Guardians' committee No 6 register of boarded out children, 1933-34 (C/GC 6/4).
• Guardians' committee No 6 children's home (Lyde Cottage, Docking) registers, 1915-37 (C/GP 4/81-83).
• Guardians' committee No 7 boarding out sub-committee minutes, 1925-45 (C/GC 7/10).
• Guardians' committee No 7 children's home (Red House, Little Snoring) sub-committee minutes, 1931-48 (C/GC 7/9).
• Guardians' committee No 9 boarding out committee minutes, 1933-48 (C/GC 9/9).
• Guardians' committee No 10 children's home (Garfield House, East Dereham) sub-committee minutes, 1937-46, 1946-48 (C/GP 14/129, C/GC 10/5).
• Guardians' committee No 11 boarding out committee minutes, 1930-46 (C/GC 11/8).
• Guardians' committee No 11 children's home (Thetford) sub-committee minutes, 1941-42 (C/GC 11/9).
• Guardians' committee No 12 boarding out sub-committee minutes, 1930-45 (C/GC 12/8).
• Guardians' committee No 12 children's homes (Long Stratton) sub-committee minutes, 1930-48 (C/GC 12/7).
• County education committee register of children adopted, 1927-45 (C/ED Uncat). Closed to public access for 100 years.
• County education committee adoption files relating to children for whom the council acted as guardian ad litem, 1927-48 (C/ED Uncat). Closed to public access for 100 years.
• Registers of children under control of county council, 1930-71 (C/SS 7/64-66). Closed to public access for 100 years.
• Register of boarded out children, 1944-47 (C/SS 2/4).
• Denver Hall Nursery register, 1947-51 (C/SS 7/69).
• Garfield House (East Dereham) record book, 1947-73 (ACC 2004/101). Closed to public access for 100 years.