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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Cork => Topic started by: Leofric on Thursday 10 June 10 16:23 BST (UK)

Title: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Leofric on Thursday 10 June 10 16:23 BST (UK)
I was surprised and saddened to see on the new 1901 census that my Gt Grandmother, Maria Myles, aged 66, was listed in Cork City workhouse. Surprised because family lore had it that the Myles' were relatively well-off. But obviously not.

Given that she had pneumonia, and that her condition is described as decrepit, it seems likely that she died in the workhouse - but there is no record of her death on the FamilySearch Pilot records of 1845-1958. I can understand how birth records are sometimes not registered because the responsibily lies with the parents, but I'd have thought that the workhouse, with lots of deaths to register would have been meticulous in this matter.

But I wonder, could it be that the workhouse staff did register the death with the Cork City Registrar, but that a copy was not sent to Dublin? And if so, would it be possible for a visitor to browse the records (indexes) in Cork City rather than Dublin?

If any Cork City native knows if the local Registrar permits searches by the public I'd be pleased to hear from them.

And finally, would anyone be able to tell me where those from the workhouse would be buried? (Parish of St Nicholas). Not that I'm expecting a headstone of course, but I'd just like to know.

Thanks
Leofric
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: agho on Friday 11 June 10 21:29 BST (UK)
Leofric
It is possible to view the registers in Adelaide Court, Cork. You have to pre-book (just ring them) but be warned the waiting list is very long, up to 12 months.
You need to know what registration district she died in so that they can retrieve the correct books for you. There is a fee of €20 for a day's searching but you can ask for as many records as you can view between 10 am & 4 pm.

Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: agho on Friday 11 June 10 22:55 BST (UK)
Also take a look at the Cork Archives website www.corkarchives.ie they have registers of deaths in the Cork Union Workhouse. You can view these records also, just ring for an appointment.
As to burials from the workhouse, I'd suspect St. Joseph's Cemetery, Ballyphehane but am open to correction. Try ringing the office there - look up online phonebook for number.

Also with regard to death record for Maria Myles on LDS civil records she could be listed as Mary & there is a death for a Mary Myers in 1905?
Was she dead by 1911?
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Leofric on Saturday 12 June 10 16:13 BST (UK)
Thanks for your replies Agho.

Twelve months is rather long to look at the indexes, so I think the best bet is your second suggestion, the workhouse records themselves - thanks for that.

It did cross my mind that she might be recorded as Mary, but as they knew her name was Maria I'd have thought she'd have been recorded as such.

There is no trace of her in the 1911, so I'm fairly sure she'd have died within that decade and probably not long after the 1901 census. I'll have another browse of Mary Myles deaths in the Cork City registration district.

Thanks again - Leofric
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: agho on Saturday 12 June 10 17:09 BST (UK)
just to clarify, it's not the index you get to see in the Cork Registrar's Office, Adelaide Court it's the original books with the full information that you'd get on a cert.
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: MINCA on Tuesday 15 June 10 01:08 BST (UK)
In researching my great grandmother who was from Waterford, I came to the conclusion that she might have grown up in a workhouse during the famine years just prior to coming to America at age 16. The clue was she came alone and children were released from the workhouse at 16 and given passage to America.  In reading on workhouses, at least during the famine, I discovered that births, marriages, and deaths were not recorded in the church registers at that time, and there was no civil registration until 1864, but they were recorded in the Minutes of the meetings of the Trustees of the Workhouse, which were either monthly or weekly.  Further, the information I found said that Workhouse records are not indexed, not digitalized and not available on line.  If you type Irish Workhouses into your browser you should get the information I  found.  I was told by an Irish genealogy research company that you can go and read the workhouse records, or hire someone to do it, but i can't remember where the records are held.
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Leofric on Tuesday 15 June 10 15:36 BST (UK)
Minca,

Thanks for that. In my case, the records are held in Cork City, the address for which is shown in the link provided by Agho.

It'll be a while before I see them for I live in England, but I will get there within a few months.

Leofric
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Dan O Man on Wednesday 07 July 10 21:27 BST (UK)
Hello Leofric

Having looked at the 1901 census records it shows a Maria Myles and a Mary Myles living in Cork, With reference to Maria owing to her health she more than likely died in the workhouse and as such would more than possible was buried in a paupers grave. Having been round the graveyards in Cork including the Blackrock area, we have found no headstones with the name Myles on it. John Myles gave his mothers name as Maria when he first enlisted in 1898 and his army record when he enlisted in 1914 show her name as Mary.

Dan o man
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Leofric on Tuesday 13 July 10 17:05 BST (UK)
Dan o Man,

I think that your Myles family and my own are probably not the same. If son John Myles re-enlisted in 1914 he would not have recorded his mother as next-of-kin if she was dead, as the Maria Myles in question almost certainly was.

Also, you stated that John was married before he enlisted in 1898 (in another thread) and if this was the case, then his wife and not his mother would be recorded as NoK. I have a copy of his army records and there is no mention of his being married.

For these reasons, I'm fairly sure we are discussing different families.

Regards Leofric
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Dan O Man on Friday 04 November 16 22:06 GMT (UK)
Hi Leofric
Its been a while since I've done any work on this side of the family tree, and I think I got it wrong saying that his mothers name was on his 1914 enlistment papers, I must have been looking at the earlier enlistment papers. Having visited the records office at Kew the enlistment papers were destroyed in the last war.
What I have found is that he was born in Midleton, again there are no records for his birth but his brother George's mother is listed as Mary Curtin and brother William as Maria Burchill. With their father as John

Regards Dan O man
Title: Re: Gt Grandmother in Cork Workhouse
Post by: Sinann on Saturday 05 November 16 02:00 GMT (UK)
Leofric hasn't been here for quite a while but on the off chance they come back.

I think Maria was still alive in 1911, there is a MM female widow aged 76, COI in the same place in 1911 Census.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01isu/

It is possible she died in 1912 having spent 13 years in the hospital. Age doesn't match.
It should be noted she was in the Hospital wing, not the Workhouse part so may not have been there as a result of poverty only as a result of illness.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details-civil/3febd910353160