Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone,
I have just discovered ancestors of mine at age 81 years of age listed as inmates at a Coventry Union Workhouse in 1891. Can anyone tell me why they would be there and what they might have been doing at that great age?
Thank you

Most likely they were poor and had no means of supporting themselves.
Jan

They would probably be there because they had no way of supporting themselves financially.

This is a good site about workhouses

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/

You would only be accespted into a work house if you were peneless not even any backy and you worked long hours for very little money men were kept apart from their wives and children and only saw each other on Sundays

Thank you very much for the reply, Jan and Lynski. I have quickly checked out the website Lynski and it looks fascinating, will read more when I get more time. Such a shame that they ended up there at the age of 81.
Anyway, thanks again and you two have a great evening.
Jo x

Thanks to you too Carol. It's incredible that the men were kept apart from their wives. How awful, I couldn't imagine going through something like that. How lucky are we!

they slept in cots which were a very basis bed with a very thin straw mattress in a cell witch was kept locked during certain times of the night

the food was very basic too and they were deloused upon arrival and given work house clothes

forgot to say if anyone lives near enough to Ripon in North Yorkshire there used to be a workhouse there that is now social services but a small section has been turned into a museum very interesting and well worth a visit so is the old police station