In the 1830s Owstwick became part of a group of twenty-seven parishes and townships under the Patrington Union, which provided for a Union workhouse at Patrington, opened in 1838 for the accommodation of 150 paupers.
Owstwick became part of a group of twenty-seven local authorities under the Patrington Union, which created a communal facility at Patrington in 1838 for the care of up to 150 needy residents.