Genealogy Chat

I am trying to trace a place called Whiston Russet Lancs, can anyone help please? I have written on here before about this but still cant get anywhere. I am interested in a Whiston County Institution, Whiston Russet, Lancs. in 1942. I have found one institution in Whiston but the name was changed to Cheadle Poor Law Institution prior to 1937. Maureen

There's a Whiston by Prescot - close to St Helens I'll just check if it's the same place - ***UPDATE*** seems to be It now comes under Knowsley, Merseyside

Thanks Louise Maureen

Not sure which institution you're after - there was the Prescot Workhouse, later Whiston hospital Cheadle Poor Law Instituation throws up http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/Cheadle/Cheadle.shtml on google, but that's Staffs

I wrote my thanks before you posted your 2nd message. Many thanks indeed. I know i am being a nuisance but any idea what reg area this would have come under in 1942, or how i can find out, i am looking for a death. Maureen

Must be the hospital - found this on the National Archives Present name Whiston Hospital Previous name(s) Prescot Union Institution (? - c.1930) Whiston Infirmary (c.1930 - 1937) County Hospital (1938 - 1954) Address Warrington Road Prescot L35 5DR Previous location Always on the same site but enlarged between Warrington Road and Dragon Lane, Prescot. Foundation Year 1898 Closed No

It would most probably come under Prescot, Lancashire

Louise We keep 'crossing in the post' I have a letter written by my grandmother in 1942 from the Institution i have mentioned. According to rellies they think she died soon after. As the family all came from London, she said she was being looked after by 'sisters' it sounds as if she was unwell. I am just curious why she was there, all that way from home, it has been suggested it could have been because of the war that she moved out of London, but she didnt have any young children, as far as i can see there were no rellies in Lancs and i wouldnt have thought going to anywhere near Liverpool would have been much safter than London. Would love to find her death cert, but - her name was Mary Smith so its not going to be an easy task. I did find that Institution that became Whiston Hospital, but that was prior to 1942, why would she not call it a hospital if that is what it was, and why would she need to go all that way for treatment. Its really bugging me Maureen

How old would she have been? Found a few in different quarters Also just noticed that the records for Whiston are kept in Knowsley Libraries - if you have a rough admisson date - I'll see if I can find an address for you to write to

Maureen There are elderly people round here who still refer to our local hospital as 'the Workhouse'. It hasnt been a Workhouse for over 70 years. Although Whiston Hospital changed its name officially, the patients, staff and the locals would probably take a long time to stop calling it the County Institution. As to why she was there - if she was in a hospital in another part of the country, and that hospital decided to evacuate to a safer place,(maybe even that hospital had been damaged by enemy action) then she wouldnt probably have had any choice - depends why she was in there, of course. Although I dont know much about Whiston, I do know that most County Institutions were sited well away from towns, usually deep in the Countryside. OC

Details are held at: Kirkby Library Newtown Gardens Kirkby L32 8RR England Or you can write to: Prescot Library 1 High Street Prescot Knowsley L34 3LD Tel: 0151 426 6531 Fax: 0151 430 7548 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.knowsley.gov.uk Information Manager : Graham Watson Access information Open : Mon-Fri 9-5 Wheelchair access Limited finding aids available on website, extra information to be added. See also http://history.knowsley.gov.uk Proof of identity required In response to Olde Crone - Whiston is 10 or so miles from Liverpool, & probably used to be surrounded by countryside (not so much anymore though)

Oh, of course, its just dawned on me! No National Health Service in those days, everything had to be paid for. Maybe the Sisters were part of a charitable set up and she went there purely on cost! OC

Louise Thanks you so much. I will get writing. Old Crone She would have been 63/64. As you say, no NHS then so i would have imaged to go off to Lancs would have been quite costly. Her husband was still alive (same age) and was employed as a Platelayer on railways but i am not sure if he was still working at that time. Thanks for all your help Maureen