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My gosh, thank you all so much. It does look as though Arthur gave Forrest his name. And poor Felicity to end up in the workhouse by the looks of it!

Thank you once again for all your help, it has been great to have other eyes come up with some other roads to follow.

Elaine

Thank you all so much :)

Elaine


you do have to be careful making assumptions when you have people in the Workhouse


Often the only place where a poor person could go to get medical treatment was to the Workhouse.

All workhouses had an "infirmary" section to take care of sick or dying inmates ................. and people from the surrounding area could always go there for treatment.


Many babies are noted as born in the workhouse, when in fact they were born in the Infirmary of the workhouse 'cos mom needed more medical intervention than the local midwife could provide. Same applies to old men or women dying in the workhouse.

If the family could not afford a doctor, they went to the workhouse infirmary where treatment was free.


Also, some people were not in the workhouse because of poverty, but because they had been put in there by members of their family .......... this was of course more often done by male members of a family (father, husband, son) to a woman. Getting someone to declare her insane was an easy way to get her out of the house and remove the need for her to be looked after at home.

Many women who had bad times at menopause ..... think how some of us can't control our moods ............... were often put in care.


And once put in the workhouse, it was very difficult to get out.


Ancestry has still not uncovered the Infirmity column on the 1911 Census ..... that might give more information on what was Felicity's condition.





sylvia

On Find My Past nothing is listed in the infirmity column and she is listed as Felicity Hampsons.

Thank you K

I have checked and none of the sites I use have the infirmity column uncovered. She is listed as being in the same workhouse in 1901 and 1911 and as dying there in 1916, so I favour the 'insanity' theory. I still can't find any actual marriage between her and Arthur Hampson, so wonder if her family had her committed (black sheep theory and not uncommon).

Arthur could not have been his father as he was only 12 when Forrest was born. So my gut feeling is she took his name and gave it to her son to legitimise him. I have been looking for probate for Arthur because as an insurance clerk or general dealer I feel sure there would have been a will and cannot find one I would be happy to commit to. Oh what a spiders web. Thanks everyone