Genealogy Chat

I went to look at the admissions book for a union House today . they covered the period 1720 - 1785 and so it was not really a workhouse - sort of pre- workhouse. it was amazing reading. Women were often admitted because they were pregnant of course but hter were also cases of Small pox - and people were usually discharged after recovering. There was onee case where a women had been admitted for two weeks because of the unusually harsh weather. The whole pont is if you can find your rellies in the admissions book there may be information on why he was there etc. Its worth a look if you can get to the records office. Alice

Maggie You are right - my mum was the eldest of eight, she always said her mother didnt bring up eight children, SHE (my Mum) did! Incidentally, where I live now, the local Workhouse has been converted at great expense, into Executive Flats. While they were digging out a bit more to get a few more flats on, they unearthed lots of human remains - the old burial ground of the Workhouse, so unmarked that it wasn't even on any of the old maps. As you can imagine, this was a bit of a nuisance to the Builders and held them up no end. Personally, (and lots of locals agree with me) I wouldnt want one of these flats if they were giving them away - which of course, they arent. I am not particularly superstitious, but the sheer sum of human misery that the building represents is enough to put me off. Oh, the good old days, eh! Marjorie

Workhouses are a difficult subject Marjorie!! They changed over time. The one my gran was born in was used to house homeless families in 1940, and wasn't closed down (as a workhouse) until 1948!!! Many families were too embarrassed to talk about having anyting to do with them - fortunately? for me, my gran used to relish telling me how lucky I was..'I was born in the workhouse you know'.........LOL As she had 7 younger siblings she used to tell me about her mum 'swaning off to have the next one in the Borough' leaving gran to look after the others!!! As there was a 6 week 'lying in' period then, and neither of my g grandparents had family living locally, gran had a lot of work to do! maggie

Maggie Thanks for clearing up my puzzlement! I suffer from thinking that everyone elses ancestors were in the WH in the early 1800s, like mine! Sorry, not very imaginitive of me, no wonder I can't find anyone, I obviously can't think out of the box. Happy Hunting Marjorie

Hi Marjorie, This was 1900 - 1924. I'm sure g Grandad paid a few coppers, but it was cheaper than calling out the doctor. The workhouse had vagrants quarters, quarters for able-bodied paupers, an infirmary wing and an infectous diseases wing. My gran was born in 1904, and her birth certificate states 'Infirmary, workhouse', as do those of her 2 elder brothers. In 1902, a borough infirmary was opened just down the road, with enough surrounding land to build another workhouse if required. Her younger siblings were born here, their certificates state 'borough infirmary'. I'm sure different areas had different arrangements, but if you had TB, and the workhouse had an infectious diseases wing, the chances are you'd go there to die unless you were very wealthy. maggie

Maggie I am intrigued by your story - are you sure your Gran and her sibs were born in the Workhouse? The Workhouse was for the destitute and you couldn't just put yourself in the Workhouse - you had to get a 'ticket' which was issued by the Overseer of the Poor, who had to satisfy himself that you were born in the Parish and that you were - well, destitute! A married woman with a husband in work and who had a home would not have been seen as destitute. I dont know what years you are talking about, of course, but perhaps she was in the 'Lying-In' Hospital, these were often attached to a Workhouse - but they weren't free, a few coppers usually, but again, if she had a husband in work he would certainly have been presented with a Bill! Not doubting you, but just curious, as what you are saying doesn't fit with what I have read about the Workhouse system, it was not there to do good works, it was there to make a profit for the Ratepayers! Marjorie.

Thanks everyone, I hadn't realised that workhouses could be thought of as hospitals. I had thought of them more like hostels for the homeless poor. This may mean that Frederick Blake was with relatives (perhaps his mother) and not alone and lost. The way my parents generation spoke of Workhouses was that they had a stigma attached. The local hospital was still referred to as the Workhouse by older members of the community - and not with affection. Thanks again for the help. Cheryl

Hi Paul; That's true! Up until the 30's if a woman refused to name the father of her child, her family could have her committed to an asylum. If she had the child but was not 'sectioned' she would end up in the workhouse if the family would not give her house room. However, in my case my G Grandfather had a failry good job (ships steward) and acknowledged paternity of the children - it was just a cheap alternative to getting the doctor out ( and cleaning up the mess!!!!) When I was at school I did voluntary work in a psychiatric hospital (this was the early 70's) I met a man aged 43 who had been in the hospital since he was 3 because he was an epileptic!! Being incarcerated for no good reason happened quite recently! maggie

This may sound harsh and far fetched. In some cases, younger women ended up in the workhouse, or even worse the asylum, purely because they fell pregnant and were not married. It also happened where a married woman fell pregnant, and the household could not afford another child for one reason or another. Paul

Debbie, A workhouse was a 'last resort' refuge where those without work and/or homeless were put up, and fed. The sexes were segregated. In latter years the children were educated. Those with work had to contribute towards their keep. Obviously if you were ill you couldn't work, or contribute towards your family income and it would be sensible (if the family were poor) for you to go to the workhouse, where you would be fed and sene by a doctor. Many old workhouses actually became hospitals. Two I have had dealings with are the General Hospital in Southampton, which was the workhouse my gran was born, and the recently closed Southlands Hospital, which I was born in, was a workhouse until the early 20th Century. Don't forget there was no unemployment benefit until the 1930's /40's!! maggie

Cheryl, some people went to the workhouse because they had a long-term illness and it was the only way they could get treated by a doctor. My grandmother and her brothers and sisterw were born in the workhouse, but my great grandfather had a house and job. i was just safer than having the children at home as there was always a (free) doctor on duty. maggie

Thanks for your replies everyone. George, There is a Frederick Blake on 1881 census in Auckland. He is shown as a boarder aged 18 (roughly the right age) and his occupation is coal miner - also matches with other information. But his place of birth is shown as Hereford Gaol and I haven't yet managed to find a birth entry for him in Hereford - gaol or anywhere else. There is no record of his birth in Durham around 1864. Because I haven't yet found his birth, I don't know anything about his mother of if there were other children - although if she was in gaol it certainly adds a certain degree of interest !!!! Cheryl

My ggrandfather is in the workhouse on the 1901 census and died in there in 1904. He had several married children all living in the same town but I imagine conditions were cramped and money was tight so caring for an elderly relative who may well have not been in the best of health was not an option

Have you found Frederick in 1881 yet? Also did George and the wife have other children? George

I received two death certs today for un-connected (to each other) relatives - they both died in B. Auckland workhouse 11 years apart. My G.Grandfather George Blake died in 1877 when his son, Frederick would have been 13 ish. As George was in the workhouse is this likely to mean that he no relatives to stay with? I was hoping the d/cert would give me some clues to try to find wife and other family but no luck - just more questions. Where were you Frederick? and who was looking after you? Cheryl