Blennerhasset and Torpenhow Civil Parish

Blennerhasset, Torpenhow, Whitrigg

423  (2011 Census)

437  (2001 Census)

Historical

Blennerhasset and Torpenhow Civil Parish was formed in 1934, from parts of 2 civil parishes which were the former ancient townships of:

Blennerhasset with Kirkland

Torpenhow with Whitrigg

Townships became civil parishes in their own right in 1866 (see below).

Torpenhow  (St Michael)

Ancient parishes refer to the parishes before the split between ecclesiastical (church) and civil parishes in the 19th century. They had a parish church and often were composed of multiple townships and chapelries. In many cases, townships and parishes were originally based on the territory of manors from the feudal system during medieval times. Civil parishes were created following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866, in which Church of England parishes, extra-parochial areas, townships and chapelries, became "civil parishes" which could set their own poor rate (tax). Then the reforms of Local Government Act 1894 established elected civil parish councils (or parish meetings for parishes with less than 300 residents) and created urban and rural districts. Boundaries of parishes and civil parishes may have changed over time.

Allerdale below Derwent (ward)

Torpenhow with Whitrigg township was part of:

Cockermouth Poor Law Union, formed in 1838.

Cockermouth Union Workhouse was located by Sullart Street in Cockermouth, opening in 1841. This replaced smaller existing workhouses in Cockermouth, Maryport and Workington.

Blennerhasset with Kirkland township was part of:

Wigton Poor Law Union, formed in 1836

Wigton Union Workhouse was located on Cross Street, Wigton, which was built in 1842 to house up to 250 inmates. Prior to that there had been smaller workhouses in Caldbeck, Oulton, Glasson, and Wigton.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 parishes were grouped into Unions, each of which had to build a workhouse if they did not already have one. It ended the old system of locally provided poor relief which had come under strain as numbers out of work grew, following increasing mechanisation of agriculture and the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars, along with changing social attitudes. The workhouse provided those unable to support themselves financially with accommodation and work. Inmates were generally segregated into men, women, boys and girls. 

The workhouse system was abolished by the Local Government Act 1929, but many workhouses lived on as ‘Public Assistance Institutions’ until the National Assistance Act 1948.

Cumberland, until 1974, then:

Cumbria, which was created on the 1st of April 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972. The new county absorbed Cumberland and Westmorland, and added some parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

District Councils:

Torpenhow with Whitrigg township was part of:

Cockermouth Rural District (1894 - 1974)

Blennerhasset with Kirkland township was part of:

Wigton Rural District (1894 - 1974)

Allerdale Borough (1974 - )  Created by the Local Government Act 1972. Allerdale absorbed the former municipal borough of Workington; the urban districts of Maryport, Cockermouth and Keswick; and the rural districts of Cockermouth and Wigton.