Shaftesbury Poor Law Union/Registration District (RegD/Inc/PLU)

Created: 1837   Abolished: 1930

Statistics

Population

Population

Densities and rates of growth. Age structure: concentrations of young people, and of the old.
Industry

Industry

How people made their living: identifying farming communities, pit villages, mill towns and so on.
Life & Death

Life & Death

Numbers of babies born. Deaths, especially infant deaths. Causes of death by age and gender.
Work & Poverty

Work & Poverty

Unemployment rates and poor relief. What proportions of men and of women did paid work?
Housing

Housing

Numbers of houses. Overcrowding: persons per room. Amenities: central heating, baths and WCs.
Birthplace & Religion

Birthplace & Religion

Numbers going to church, and the kinds of churches they went to. The different religions of modern Britain.
Place marker map of Great Britain and Ireland

The unit has had the following statuses:

Status Abbreviation Start End Authority
Incorporation Inc   1880s F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979) Permission granted to project.
Poor Law Union PLU 1880s   F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979) Permission granted to project.
Registration District RegD     1911 Census of England and Wales, Population tables 2, Table 5 , 'Registration Counties, Districts and Sub-districts with their constituent civil parishes. - Urban or Rural District in which each parish is situated; Area; families or separate occupiers, and population, 1901 and 1911; and population enumerated in Institutions, large establishments, and on vessels, &c., 1911'

This unit contained the following units:

Name Type Start End Authority
FONTMELL Registration sub-District     1911 Census of England and Wales, Table 5, 'Registration Counties, Districts and Sub-districts with their constituent civil parishes. - Urban or Rural District in which each parish is situated; Area; families or separate occupiers, and population, 1901 and 1911; and population enumerated in Institutions, large establishments, and on vessels, &c., 1911'.
GILLINGHAM Registration sub-District     1911 Census of England and Wales, Table 5, 'Registration Counties, Districts and Sub-districts with their constituent civil parishes. - Urban or Rural District in which each parish is situated; Area; families or separate occupiers, and population, 1901 and 1911; and population enumerated in Institutions, large establishments, and on vessels, &c., 1911'.
SHAFTESBURY Registration sub-District     1911 Census of England and Wales, Table 5, 'Registration Counties, Districts and Sub-districts with their constituent civil parishes. - Urban or Rural District in which each parish is situated; Area; families or separate occupiers, and population, 1901 and 1911; and population enumerated in Institutions, large establishments, and on vessels, &c., 1911'.
ALCESTER CP Parish-level Unit 1894 1921 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 105.
ASHMORE AP/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 106.
BOURTON Ch/CP Parish-level Unit 1894 1930 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 107.
BUCKHORN WESTON AP/CP Parish-level Unit 1894 1930 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 107.
CANN CP/AP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 108.
COMPTON ABBAS AP/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 109.
EAST ORCHARD Ch/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 115.
EAST STOUR Ch/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 119.
FONTMELL MAGNA AP/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 111.
GILLINGHAM CP/AP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 111.
IWERNE MINSTER AP/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 112.
KINGTON MAGNA AP/CP Parish-level Unit 1894 1930 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 113.
MARGARET MARSH Ch/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 114.
MELBURY ABBAS CP/AP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 114.
MOTCOMBE Ch/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 115.
SHAFTESBURY CP Parish-level Unit 1894   F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 117.
SHAFTESBURY HOLY TRINITY AP/CP Parish-level Unit 1880s 1894 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 117.
SHAFTESBURY HOLY TRINITY AP/CP Parish-level Unit   1880s F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 117.
SHAFTESBURY ST JAMES AP/CP Parish-level Unit   1880s F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 118.
SHAFTESBURY ST JAMES AP/CP Parish-level Unit 1880s 1894 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 118.
SHAFTESBURY ST PETER CP/AP Parish-level Unit 1880s   F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 118.
SHAFTESBURY ST PETER CP/AP Parish-level Unit   1880s F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 118.
SILTON AP/CP Parish-level Unit 1894 1930 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 118.
STOUR PROVOST AP/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 119.
SUTTON WALDRON CP/AP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 119.
TODBER CP/AP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 120.
WEST ORCHARD Ch/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 115.
WEST STOUR Ch/CP Parish-level Unit     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 119.

This unit was part of the following units:

Name Type Start End Authority
DORSET Poor Law/Registration County 1850   F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 594.
DORSET Administrative County     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)

This unit was affected by the following changes:

Date Type of change Other unit involved Area transferred Authority
01 Jun 1895 was enlarged by gaining part of WINCANTON RegD/PLU Kington Magna and Buckhorne Weston were lost to Shaftesbury   Registrar General, Annual Report (HM Stationery Office)
01 Nov 1896 was enlarged by gaining part of MERE RegD/PLU Bourton and Silton were lost to Shaftesbury   Registrar General, Annual Report (HM Stationery Office)
01 Aug 1915 was reduced to enlarge BLANDFORD RegD/PLU Area: 9 acres.   1921 Census of England and Wales, Table 6, 'Intercensal Changes in Boundaries, 1911-21'.; Registrar General's Order

Boundary Map of Shaftesbury Poor Law Union/Registration District (RegD/Inc/PLU)

If the boundaries of the Poor Law Union/Reg. District changed over time, this map will show all the different boundaries.

Maps Census reports

How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Shaftesbury Poor Law Union/Registration District (RegD/Inc/PLU) through time, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10167565

Date accessed: 11th February 2026