workhouse records

[jungle beast]

Sorry for not replying to you sooner too. I have been the UK chasing another branch of the family with more success!
I am now back to Edward Luetchford and Jane Coppin.
As regards to Edward Luetchford I will have to search the Lambeth records on my next visit. Thanks for all the  information.
I am not quite sure how I use the Surrey records which you transferred for me. Do I make a posting stating the inability to find Joseph Coppin and family on the 1861 census? There are many many Coppins in and around Croydon. i guess I need to eliminate those who I think are not related. As you can tell I am somewhat at sea with this  Can't even figure out how to put a smiley face in the text!
jungle beast

[Charlesworth]

You can access poor law records through ancestry.co.uk (that is how the LMA have put them online).  I have searched the records in that way.  You can just take out membership for one month (about £12 I think) which is much cheaper than using a research service!

Some workhouse records are quite long to plough through so you have to find the year, then the name (they're usually alphabetical), and then just plough through the pages.  I've managed to find a few things on them.

The Princess Street Religious Creed records are there fore 1857, 1858 and 1860. These should have the names of your ancestors if they were admitted during those years. 

Hope that helps!

Louise

[jungle beast]

thank you Louise,
We are already members of Ancestry.co.uk and I found the workhouse site but could only find links etc. Obviously I am doing something wrong. My computer skills are pretty basic too, I am always afraid I'll delete something and lose it forever!
 
JB

[Charlesworth]

Try this link

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1557

Not sure if that will work how I've put it in - if not, just copy and paste it into your browser.

To the right of your page it should say 'browse this collection' with Lambeth underneath.  You then have to select from the drop down menu.  You may have to re-select Lambeth for it to work - so select somewhere else and then select Lambeth again.  It will then bring up another drop down menu below.  You should select 'religious creed' as this will give you lists of names.

Hope that helps!

Louise

[jungle beast]

Hi Louise,
Thanks so much for the web site.
I hit the jackpot and found
Edward's mother Mary Ann Luetchford age 22 in the workhouse. 9th November 1858. "Pregn to be examn. remains"
Do you know if there is a way to find out what the category numbers mean; also who are the people referring the inmates?
thx again.
JB

[Charlesworth]

Hi there

I'm afraid I don't know what the category numbers mean - I haven't encountered them in my searches (or just not noticed!)

Usually people referred themselved to the workhouse.  Being in the workhouse was considered to be an absolute last resort.  I could be wrong, but I don't believe anyone else could refer a person to the workhouse.  People were supposed to be there of their own free will and from what I understand, the workhouse could apply to family to cover the expense of inmates - certainly in the case of medical care.  So I think if any family members were trying to wash their hands of their relatives, they wouldn't let it be known that they were associated with or hand any responsibility for inmates.

Saying that, when my g g grandparents and their children were in Edmonton workhouse, g g grandfather's brother and address was listed as next of kin.  From what I had seen in the records, that seemed to be quite unusual.

In the case of workhouse infirmaries, these were often the only 'hospitals' that poor people could go to, so this was a bit different to being in the workhouse itself.  In that case, someone might well be taken to the infirmary by their family or gone there themselves.

Hope that helps!

Louise

[jungle beast]

good morning Louise
Thank you for the information. there are 3 columns after names, age, class and ward; It was the middle number that intrigued me, obviously some kind of code for circumstances. Given that Mary Ann was giving birth to a child out of wedlock, I can only suspect that she was in the workhouse infirmary, to give birth to Edward. It is very sad when one sees the terrible circumstances some people are in, whole families are are relegated to a life of poverty. Fortunately from what we are finding Mary Ann married in 1861and had three more children. She was our g.g. grandmother . Edward was brought up by his grandparents!
Happy researching, my sister and I are fascinated with this whole process.
Rosemary (JB)

[Charlesworth]

Hi Rosemary,

If Edward was raised by his grandparents then that is a positive thing because his mother wasn't turned out completely, and he wasn't abandoned which might often be the case. 

Yes, it is fascinating indeed - and there are so many surprises!  Good luck with your research

Louise

[jungle beast]

Hi Louise,
Yes I agree about not being completely abandoned. Interestingly enough we discovered Edward as Edward Bates, nephew at his grandparents on the 1861  census, so i imagine this was to cover the shame! Edward ended up in Ashton under Lyne. An Edward Bates named as father on the birth record, seems to be from Ashton under Lyne, but we have not corroborated this yet. As you say lots of surprises.
Good luck with your research.
Rosemary