British Home Child - William Allen LAYFIELD

[gemmee]

I'm confused Osprey.... RE: those Hodgson residences/deaths in Chorlton...  were they in the workhouse or living in the community? 

And, J.J.  I think Annie might be a possibility for the sister... William would actually have had to have been old enough to actually remember he had a sister--- and in 1900, he would have been about 9.  We've never had a name for that sister.  Once I get the info from Manchester..... will have to get to orering the official documentation..

I don't think that's the right Walter... Walter William was born in July, not Dec.

Thanks again to you both.... Let's all keep our fingers crossed for some info from Manchester.

[osprey]

The Hodgsons were living in the community, the deaths might have been in the workhouse - the Chorlton registration district covers a reasonable sized area in the south of Manchester.
To summarise:-
1901, you have Walter and William in the Cottage homes, part of Chorlton Union, put into the workhouse system by widowed mother Harriet. There is also a widowed Harriet b. Ripon in the Chorlton workhouse.
There are only 2 Walter Layfield births on FreeBmd between 1891 and 1901, one was born in Yorkshire and is with his grandparents in 1901, leaving the birth registered in Chorlton dec qtr 1898.
There is a registration for a William Layfield march qtr 1892 Liverpool vol 8b pg 103 - the correct quarter for someone born late December 1891 as you have 6 weeks to register a birth.
1891 census has a Layfield couple living in Liverpool, both born Yorkshire with a 12 year old son Allan, registered as Allan Hodgson Layfield in West Derby (Liverpool), and there is a marriage of William Layfield and Harriet Preston C Hodgson in Liverpool.
1858 there is a birth registered in Ripon area of a Harriet Hodgson, a little older than claimed in 1901, but workhouse ages aren't always accurate.
1861 sees Harriet Preston Calvert Hodgson with large family on farm in Laverton, Yorkshire, which would be covered by Ripon registration district
1871 sees Harriet with family in reduced circumstances in Manchester. I have found also in 1871 3 of her brothers living in Liverpool, 2 of them with families called Calvert headed by a cowman/dairyman. And in their census entries, they give Ripon as their place of birth.
1891 Harriet's parents are living in Chorlton upon Medlock. Isabella dies in 1891, possibly Harriet moves to Chorlton to look after her father. The family would have to be living in the area served by the Chorlton Union for them to be in the workhouse system there.
The problem I do have is with the boys' father's death. There is this death reg
William Layfield aged 44 dec qtr 1891 Liverpool vol 8b pg 107
which would mean that Walter had a different father or it's the wrong death. He was a drayman/carter so could have died in another area and if he wasn't known there, registered as unknown.
There are possible births & deaths for a sister also in Chorlton
Mary Layfield birth - sept qtr 1894 vol 8 c pg 746
                     death aged 3 dec qtr 1897 vol 8c pg 518
Annie Layfield birth sept qtr 1897 vol 8c pg 742
                     death aged 3 dec qtr 1900 vol 8c pg 453
Janet Layfield birth sept qtr 1891 vol 8c pg 696
                     death aged 1 dec qtr 1895 vol 8c pg 541

Once you get more info from Manchester, I'd say the birth certs for William & Walter should be first on the shopping list.
 




 

[gemmee]

whooo... Osprey that just blew me away.... what a piece of work!!   quite a story... now potentially add another father for Walter... Oh, I hope those replies from Manchester come quickly.   My fingers are speechless right at the moment!    Thank you, thank you        gemmee

[gemmee]

Here is what was in my inbox this a.m. from Manchester:

"Gail:  I have found in creed register M327/2/2/22 that Harriet Layfield (Church of England) was admitted from Hulme to Withington Workhouse on 13 Jun 1900 along with three children: William, 9, Walter, 4, and Annie, 2. The boys were discharged on 26 Jun 1900 and Annie died on 20 Nov 1900. There is no indication of a discharge or death for Harriet.   David"

Well, we now know that Annie is the mystery daughter. 

So, Withington was a Chorlton Workhouse, right? Hmmmm... so if the boys were discharged two weeks later, and were found there again in 1901 in Chorlton Union, can you assume they transferred from one placement to another... or left and returned again? 

 

[J.J.]

Well done, Osprey, so good of you to remove the maybes and get down to the meat...What it says on censuses changes all the time...Also birth dates as stated on censuses can't always be relied on either, gemmee., and I have no idea how that can happen but it does...plus there was 42 days grace within which to register a birth, so that would likely cover the time between...

Hat's off to you, Osprey!     VERY good sleuthing....!  J.J.

OOOOhHHH, just saw that last entry on the next page...so the entry for Walter looks to be the one, as the timeline that Ospey has put together is looking most plausible!

 

[J.J.]

Just looked again & the creed register from 1900...If Anne was born 1897, then Walter's birth can't be the  one we found....so we need to find a missing registration for Walter, somewhere...must have been badly written and not transcribed...Looks as though Annie's & William's birth cert would be the correct ones, though..
or consider that the birth July 1896 for Walter was right on, but perhaps not registered?....J.J.

[gemmee]

Well, I received a reply from the registry in Manchester today... reads as follows:

"Hi, Well I have tried looking up the children's birth entries without any success.  I have found the death of William Layfield whose widow has signed as H. Layfield which I presume is the correct entry. 

Sorry we cannot help with any other queries.  The cost of the death certificate if you require it is 7 pounds, but if you want to pay by credit/debit card you should call me on 0161 234 5504 at the cost of 8 pounds... "

 

[KarenM]

Hi Gail,

I've been away for a few days so I'm gonna have to read all the posts and get caught up to date, but I'm so happy that you are getting more information.

Any signs of the military papers yet??

Karen

[J.J.]

Re: late birth Registration: apparently there was a fine if you registered late...so some births were never registered, or dates were altered by parents who did not have the means to pay.... J.J.

( Hi, Karen, we missed you!  see what Indi's find has opened up? Osprey has been very busy sleuthing! )