A vestry was the governing body of a parish: originally these areas were identical to Church of England ecclesiastical parishes, eventually distinct civil parishes with a purely local government function evolved. Vestries lost most of their powers and finance in 1835 when the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 came into effect: all persons paying the poor rate became electors, with boards of guardians for each parish or groups of parishes (known as a Poor Law Union) being elected annually.