| Description | It is unclear exactly when the Visiting and General Purposes committee was founded. It was certainly in place by 1849, when the re-organisation of the Guardians' committees took place (see GP B/2/9/3, below), and continued to be a part of the Union's administration until the merger with Aston and King's Norton unions in 1912.
The committee's main function was to visit the workhouse on a regular basis, and monitor conditions therein. 20 Guardians made up the whole committee - six of these would be appointed each month to visit the workhouse on a weekly basis. Whilst there, they would examine the workhouse accounts and other records (a full list of which is at the front of GP B/2/8/1/1), and enter their comments into the visitors book. These comments would then be relayed back to the committee at the end of each month.
Whilst this responsibility took up a great deal of the committee's time, it was also responsible for the workhouse staff, and for ensuring that the workhouse was supplied with provisions. The minutes further contain copies of correspondence from both the Local Government Board and the local council. The volumes are not indexed. |