The Otago Benevolent Institution Casebooks

During their research, most family historians will find a family who were not only poor but required the assistance of the parish or government in order to make ends meet.  Many of you reading this will be familiar with records available for such circumstances in the UK- but what about New Zealand?

Unfortunately, there aren't many records available in New Zealand relating to those who needed help for short or longer periods.  However, all is not lost.  Archives NZ is the first place to look for such records – the hospital, police and charity record series should be of use, as well as Department of Education, Social Security, Child Welfare and District/Magistrates Courts.  The Appendices of the Journal of the House of Representatives (AJHRs or A to Js) can also be fruitful and these are available on-line, up until 1954 and name searchable.

Outdoor Relief Casebook Nos 1-556

One of the earlier charitable agencies were the Benevolent Societies. The Auckland Benevolent Society is the oldest in New Zealand, and was formed to provide non-institutional aid to women and children through voluntary charitable work with an emphasis on personal visits, providing advice and sympathy as well as support in kind, clothing, food, blankets, rent, fares etc.  archives.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Fact_sheet_6_-_Charitable_Aid_-_July_2009.doc

Recently the records for the Otago Benevolent Institution Outdoor Relief casebooks 1889-c.1910 were digitised; they can be viewed for FREE through the Archway website https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/BriefDescItemSearch.do  Each volume is indexed although on volume is missing.

As I have family in Dunedin, I decided to have a look “on spec” and was duly rewarded. So what did I learn?  Quite a lot. Such as how much rent was paid, the amount of relief paid and when, where they lived, if anyone in the house was working, what they did, and how much they were paid, and the circumstances of application. For example: “Husband been in the Asylum for the last 14 months. She says she does very little work.” You also get insight into the character of those involved, such as this comment: “There is not a bit of reliance to be placed upon this woman's word.” Other information includes how long they'd been receiving assistance and any extras that were paid for, such as boots.

Outdoor Relief Casebook Nos 4447-5004

This has given me more of a sense of the character of the women involved and an insight into their living conditions. I'm unaware of any other Benevolent Society casebooks having been digitised so you'd probably need to visit Archives NZ to view those for the area of your interest but it will be a worthwhile exercise.

Marie Hickey -  Central Research

This is the first in a series of blogs about Poor Law and how to research your ancestors in the variety of documents relating to the poor both in New Zealand and Great Britain.

Many records relating to the poor have been created over the centuries and I hope that this gives an insight into the wide variety of material available.  Poverty not only breeds contempt but, often from necessity, crime.  Look at records for bankruptcy, debtor’s prison, Petty and Quarter Sessions, Assize records, militia/militia records and of course, prison records as well.

New Zealand                                                                                              
Unfortunately, there are no records that are identified as “poor law” records although laws were introduced concerning how to treat and what to do with the destitute.  Much care of the poor in New Zealand fell to charities, hospitals and the police.  The first place to look is Archives New Zealand. The website Archway lists some of the records held:

• Maintenance Order Guard Books
• Destitute Persons Criminal Records
• Papers of the Board of Public Relief 1863-66
• Destitute Children’s Home, Auckland 1870-82
• Superintendants’ Inwards Correspondence (names usually indexed on Archway)
• Hospital Board records 
• Charitable Aid Board records
• Industrial Schools records
• Vaccination Registers
• Benevolent Society records

Records can also be found amongst the departmental groups: Child Welfare Department, Department of Education, Social Security, District/Magistrates Courts.

Records of Benevolent Societies are worth looking for as they were one of the earlier charitable aid societies. The Auckland Benevolent Society (the oldest in NZ) was formed to provide non-institutional aid to women and children through voluntary charitable work. The emphasis was on personal visits, providing advice and sympathy as well as practical support such as clothing, food, blankets, rent, fares etc.

In the cause of charity: fair collectors at work in the streets of Auckland in aid of the Benevolent Society's Appeal for Funds, July 24, 1909. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19090729-1-2.

In 1885 the Hospital & Charitable Aid Institutions Act was passed and some of the records generated by this, such as Applications for Relief, are held by Archives NZ.

Auckland Hospital & Charitable Aid Board Applications for Relief 1895

Some vaccination records have survived and these are worth checking as vaccination was first introduced for the poor in an effort to stop the spread of smallpox and measles.

Another source of material is the Appendices of the Journal of the House of Representatives  available on-line 1858-1954.

For Australia check the holdings of the relevant state archives offices.

Marie

We are regularly adding to our stock family and local history books in the Central Auckland Research Centre.

Some books you look at the title and think "not my area of interest/thing"; while others just seem to leap off the shelf at you. Two such books arrived recently which I found to be very interesting and thought they may be of interest to some of you.

Ragged London: the life of London's poor