The Larne Reporter & Northern Counties Advertiser of 2 May 1868 carried a report of the routine weekly meeting of the Larne Board of Guardians about the operation of the workhouse. Among the various items discussed was a letter to the Commissioners from an inmate named "Eliza Kane Glover", corroborating a complaint made by the matron against the master and schoolmistress about a child badly treated by the other children. Eliza Kane Glover's letter, as published in full, set out an incident in which her 6 year old daughter had the collar of her slip pulled by an older girl.
Fast forward one week to 9 May 1868, when the same newspaper in the same type of routine weekly report had an item about the Board's discussion of the complaint, which included the following:
The Master - I would also suggest that Eliza Glover be removed from the other inmates, and placed in the separation ward. She has given birth to another child a few days since, and refuses to give the name of its father.
Mr. Burke - That's the woman who wrote to the Commissioners.
Mr. Casement - I would say that she and all such characters should be put into that ward.
Dr. Knox - That is the use of the ward; and the usual practice, in most unions, is to separate from the other inmates all females who have had two or more illegitimate children.
A year and a bit later on 14 August 1869, the same newspaper in the same type of routine weekly report carried the following item:
A woman named Eliza Kane Glover appeared before the Board for the purpose of removing her three illegitimate children from the Workhouse. She had been an inmate for a considerable period, and her children were in great measure reared in the house. She had recently obtained her discharge and that of her children, but had, it appeared, deserted them at Whitehead. They were taken in charge by Mr. Eslar, a Warden, who placed them under a woman named Sharp, who had them conveyed to the Workhouse. The mother made a long rambling statement with reference to the reputed father of the children and his promises to contribute towards their support.
His Lordship suggested that the best thing under the circumstances that could be done was, to allow her to take out the children and instruct the Relieving Officer to look after them; and if it was found that she had again deserted them, to have her arrested and made amenable to the law.
The other members of the Board coincided in this arrangement, and the woman was allowed in the meantime to take out her children.
Presumably the 6 year old daughter mentioned in the newspaper item of 2 May 1868 was Olivia Jane, so that would place her birth c. 1862. The child mentioned as having been born a few days before in the newspaper item of 9 May 1868 must have been be Jonathon Joseph (born on 1 May in the Workhouse according to the birth registration). And presumably Alfred makes up the third of the three children mentioned in the newspaper item of 14 August 1869 (Jonathon Joseph only died the following year).
Interesting stuff. I can pm you copies if required.
