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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Staffordshire => Topic started by: Gozza53 on Thursday 03 November 11 21:29 GMT (UK)
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It's been suggested by another member here that I send a message to the Staffordshire Board regarding a research project I have just started.
The project is Wolstanton and Burslem Union Workhouse, and is really the second phase. The first phase focused on the buildings and development phases from the initial building in 1839, subsequent extensions and additions, through to it becoming Turnhurst Road Institution between 1930 and 1948, and its final life as Westcliffe Hospital in 2007. The original workhouse was in fact demolished to make way for the Claybourne Residential home in the 1990's.
The current part of the project is focusing on the people who passed through the workhouse, i.e. paupers/inmates, vagrants/tramps, and staff. I am using names of those recorded as having 'passed through' to look backwards and forwards in their lives to tell a factually-based account of social and economic conditions, how they came to be at the workhouse and how they fared during their stay and afterwards.
The purpose of this message, prompted as a I say by another member, is to firstly raise awareness and secondly to ask anyone who has any existing research or information to get in touch with me. I have no ancestors personally who were at the workhouse but having completed my earlier phase, now see this as a labour of love. I want to do this, and especially the people involved, justice so would welcome anyone's input and advice. I don't want to 're-invent the wheel' so if other's want to share their research with me (and me with them) I'll be very grateful and pleased to do so.
Apologies for this lengthy introduction to your Board and thanks for reading this.
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hi,
i have 2 family members who were inmates at wolstanton and tunstall workhouse on the 1881 census,what info do you need?
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Hi,
Are you aware of this site?
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Wolstanton/
Nanny Jan
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thanks for the link, have found gggrandmother and gg aunt
joyce,
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Have you seen this site too? They have some old documents about the workhouses.
http://www.staffspasttrack.org.uk/
Milly
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Thanks for getting back to me, although I was only notified of one of these replies.
Firstly, I am aware of and have seen the workhouses and pasttrack web sites which were both useful when I was researching the development phases of the buildings.
'Mischat' I don't know who your ancestors are but I have re-transcribed all of the census records for the workhouse from 1841 through to 1901 so far. Anything you wish to share with me would be appreciated and I'll do likewise.
I'm dividing the 'inmates/paupers' into a series of groups: Individuals aged 16+ on their own; Single parent families; Single Child up to 15 on their own; Children up to 15 from the same family (siblings) on their own; Both parents with at least one dependent child; etc.
I'm then researching forwards and backwards within each of these groups to trace how/why these people arrived at the workhouse and what happened to them afterwards.
In doing so I've already come across some research that others have done on their family trees which is incorrect! In addition quite a lot of those from the workhouse left the area and set up home in other parts of the UK (mainly Yorkshire and Lancashire) and others left for a new life in the US. So this is proving to be an interesting project. Thanks for your interest and any help you can offer.
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Hi Gozza 53,
i have a Charlotte bratt aged66, widow,born Etruria Stoke on trent, on the 1881 census Wolstanton workhouse, but i dont know why she was there or if she died in there,as her family were living in Burslem, Bratt was her second husbands name, as her first ,husband , Ephraim Dawson died sometime in the 1850s, and she married Lewis Bratt, I have them on 1861 census,
hope this is ok,
Mishcat
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Hi my GG Grandmother Martha Wootton died in the workhouse infirmary in Dec. 1916 aged 74 years, sadly her Grandaugher Millicent Wootton died the same month, same year, I think from scalds, she was around 3 years old. Both from Tunstall/ Goldendale, possibly latebrook. Millie's Father was William and he was away serving with The Welch Fusilliers and he was martha's son, Nel
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Hello Gozza. I believe my great grandfather died in the workhouse in 1899. Not sure which one. If you can find him I can tell you something of his life and how I think he got there. His name was Henry Cope born around 1840 Brieryhurst. At the time of his death his home address was Hardings Wood Kidsgrove. I don't have the death certificate but was told by registrar, no mention of family on it. Age at death 57ish. Any other information just ask, will help if possible. Good luck with the project. Jeanette
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Good Morning Gozza. Re my post to you yesterday. My distant cousin has just pointed out to me that I called my great grandfather Henry Cope. Should have said Henry YATES. Sorry if this has caused you wasted time trawling lists. He married a Mary Cope. Jeanette
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Hi NEL
Sorry for the delay but somehow I have not been notified of all the responses to my initial post.
Thanks very much for that piece of information. I may come back to you later if that's ok.
Hi scottish quine
My research at the moment is focusing on the workhouse census records. I've checked 1891 and 1901 and your gt grandfather is not there as you probably already know.
The next phase will be to fill in as many inter-censal gaps as I can, but I don't doubt the difficulty of this. I am aware that there is limited archival material available so I will see what comes out of my research. I should later be able to confirm if Henry Yates died in the workhouse because they began to record births and deaths around 1840 onwards.
I've been contacted by Leslie (your distant cousin?) this morning who I intend to speak with later today. I'll see what comes out of that conversation and no doubt she will get in touch with you.
best regards to all
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Did you get my second message. Silly me called Gr. grandfathern Henry Cope instead of Henry YAtes. Jeanette
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Not the Mary Cope born in Tunstall in 1846, daughter of John Cope and Ann Edwards? (myggaunt).
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Hi Fran 1946 Your birth year by any chance?? Mine too. No sorry,my Mary Cope was born 1841 Kidsgrove daughter of William and Sarah (Nee Mayer)
I don't suppose by any miracle that you know anything of the Mayers. I think they came from the Tunstall/Burslem area. Thanks anyway for contact. Jeanette
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Hello,
I have just started researching my family history and in the 1871 Census my Ancestor Frederick Roberts is listed as being resident in the Wolstanton and Burslem Union Workhouse as a Pauper aged 11 (born abt 1860) and immediately below is a John Roberts aged 9 (born abt 1862)which I presume to be his brother. In the 1881 Census both boys have left the Workhouse and are Lodgers in the Wolstanton Area and both are Bakers.
I am presuming the Workhouse staff provided the training to allow them to become bakers, Frederick Roberts went on to own the Brindley Ford Bakery and it remained in the family until the 1930's.
I have only looked at the Census records so any more information anybody can help me with would be gratefully received. My cousin has just found some old photographs which we are trying to match to our relatives.
I live in Swindon and hope to visit the area in late June.
Kind regards,
Will
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Hello Will, sorry I can't help you with your query. My family did live in Brindley Ford in the 1930's and would surely have known them. Alas they are all gone now. I have a cousin who would have been a child at the time, she might know something. I am hoping to visit her next month and will ask her.
Regards. Jeanette
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Hello Jeanette,
Many thanks for your reply. I have ordered Frederick Roberts marriage certificate to see if that gives any clues to their father and mother. I don't know if Gozza53 is still on here. I will need to obtain the records from the Workhouse for 1860 to 1870.
Regards,
Will.