"Living on Union"

It meant the person was receiving Poor Relief. The person would have to apply for it.

Poor Relief finances were collected and distributed through large districts called Unions. Anyone who owned or leased property above a certain value in the district had to pay a tax called Poor Rate.  A Union consisted of several civil parishes. Each Union was administered by a Board of Poor Law Guardians. There was at least 1 workhouse in each Union. This system was set up in Ireland in late 1830s and lasted into early 20th century. The Poor Law Union districts were the basis for registration districts when civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1864 in Ireland.