Brindle Workhouse

[msr]

Does anyone know if records for Brindle Workhouse still exist?

[Ecneps]

Just enter Brindle in the search box on this site:

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?records/records.shtml


Barbara 

[bernardf]

I've done  a fair amount of work on Brindle Workhouse.  A number of the 1800s Censuses have details of inmates and I've analysed these plus many of the documents in lancs County Records office as well as putting together a short leaflet on it.  If you let me know what you're interested in, I'll try to help.  I've lodged a lot of the information with Brindle Historical Society archive a couple of years ago and written a couple of articles on it.

it started after the reformation, took lots of non local people, peaked at about 200 inmates, had a very harsh regime and was eventually closed in 1872 when the new Chorley workhouse opened.  Lots more detail if interested.
BernardF

[bernardf]

Should have mentioned in my previous post - I'm still working on the Brindle Workhouse project so anyone with any information welcome.  I live a few yards from it's site and am also looking at the history of the street - Top o' th' Lane.
For anyone interested, there's a plaque on the wall by the site in memory of the inmates and I'm hoping to get the site 'geophysed' in the forseeable future.  There is information also on it in the Chorley Poor Law Union minutes and a number of newspaper articles from the 1800s, even mentions in the Victoria History of Lancashire and 'Baines Directory'.  At least one other person locally doing research on this and the Houghton workhouse.
It's interest, apart from local, is that it's a very old one (predating poor laws), it was fairly notorious in its time - run as a business for the hard cases across the region, and there are a number of interesting stories about it.
I gave a talk to Brindle Historical Society about it some years back and am intending something similar once I've got the new research together with the stuff on the houses at Top o' th' Lane.
Anything on top o' th' lane greatly appreciated.

[msr]

Hi Bernard
We believe that husband's GG Grandmother ELIZABETH RILEY was born in Brindle Workhouse May 1842.  Not confirmed as yet.  Parents were James and Mary Riley, there was a sister born around 1837 named Mary.  Has your research shown children in workhouse or left with relatives?
Grateful for any help.
Susan

[bernardf]

I've had a look at the Census for 1841 and 1851 (nearest censuses  to your dates) but afraid I can't see any Rileys at all. Although the workhouse was quite big and visibly operating at that time the 1841 census isn't very clear about it - it does list lots of people in Brindle with no address - possibly workhouse inmates - but again no Rileys.  The 1851 Census is quite clear about the workhouse and again no Rileys.  Sorry.
This was a time when there was a lot of 'politicking' going on around the local workhouses about which should be the big one for the area - Leyland, Croston and Chorley were also in the picture.  the minutes of the Chorley Poor Law Union are in the County Records Office and there are minutes about the time on Brindle Workhouse at the point you're interested in.  I don't see any mentions of Riley in my notes, but I only transcribed ones about the operation of the workhouse, so it might be worth taking a look in case there's a mention of your family.
There definitely were children some children there, there is a guy in Chorley Historical Society who knows more about these than I do who is looking at how they charged the parishes of parents - I'll drop him a line.
This was a period when the workhouse was getting a little better - pleas had been made by local JPs to get it closed down because of conditions in 1826 - there's a fairly scary letter about this in the records office.  By 1837, things were getting better and a year or two later it was rebuilt capable of taking 200 (though it never got that big again.)  having said that, it was still pretty grim.
Despite not being able to definitely say the Riley(s) were there, it is quite possible they were but the records aren't available - it took people from all over the North West.
Sorry I can't give you any hard evidence, if I come across anything, I'll pass it on.
I've at least got a plaque on the site for those who died there as they would have been buried in unmarked graves.  N.B. Not everyone stayed in the workhouse - it's quite possible they were there only for a time, especially if they wern't elderley or disabled.
All the best,
Bernard

[bernardf]

Susan,
my contact in Chorley can't find any Rileys either and he's checked baptisms etc. as well.  He's interested to know what made you think she was born at the workhouse that year as his information suggests (due to the politicking presumably) that Brindle wasn't accepting that year 1841 - at least not officially.
Bernard

[msr]

Hi Bernard
Don't know where info came from.  Husband's cousin has date of May 1842 at Workhouse, waiting to hear from her.
Regards
Susan

[Jeffb]

Sorry to resurrect an old topic.
The 1871 census shows Hugh Brennan as an inmate. Are there any additional records which may show where he lived before being admitted and also his place of birth - Ireland is mentioned on the census.