Eugenia Owens

[panda40]

Hi Gayden
Do you know the names of any children's homes in the area for that time period? Sometimes the occupants were recorded by just their initials and this may be another reason you can't locate her. Have you also checked to see if she emigrated during this time period. It seems strange that as a 17 year old she is living on her own means which sometimes can indicate that the person is independently wealthy.
Have you carried out a search in the local newspaper for the area as this may shed some light on the situation?
Regards panda

[gayden]

Hi Panda

Thanks for those suggestions.  I'll try and find out the names of Children's Homes in the area.  It never occurred to me that she may have emigrated! But interestingly, another member of the family looking for her seemed to think that she may have had some money, and there was talk that someone in the family had been disinherited but don't know why - possibly her!  I've had information from the newspapers about her death but didn't see a funeral report which may have led me to other relatives.  I'll keep searching.

Many thanks.

Gayden

[Yasmina4]

May I suggest you check the workhouses too   Sandra

[gayden]

Hi Sandra

I've been on the website and looked for the Workhouses, Children's Homes and Industrial Schools in the area, which I've found.  Shouldn't  these children be on the Census under their names - which should make it easier or are they registered some other way?   Will I need to search under the districts?  I've also now got a list of schools in the area which she may have attended but I'll need to go to the Archives Office to look at them.

Thanks

Gayden

[Yasmina4]

Well I stumbled on the Workhouse list of children inmates when looking for my Great gt Grandma.  Found a child the right age(3) with the right name and was desolated.  I did subsequently find my Gtgt Grandma tucked  up safely with her parents subsequently.  Continued to feel very sorry for the bewildered little  unknown  inmate after that.

This was in Wales and the Workhouse concerned was attached to a hospital.  It gave a list of inmates with ages.  Not sure if thats what they did  in England.

Good luck

Sandra

[toastbutler]

Hi Gayden.
Following the Workhouse suggestions there is this website. It says that Merthyr Tydfil Workhouse represented 9 parishes including Aberdare. At the bottom of the page is a list of inmates for 1881 census.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/MerthyrTydfil/

The other possibillity is that Eugenia was looked after by a member of her mothers family. Might have been listed with the family surname as Eugenia (surname?). Just a suggestion.

[gayden]

Hi toastbutler and Sandra

I've checked the 1881 Thomas St Workhouse, which is in Merthyr but I would imagine if she was in the Workhouse it may have been in Aberdare and I'm just trawling through the Aberdare districts to see if I can find records of the Children's Homes and Industrial Schools.

Myself and another have also checked the neighbouring houses to that in which Eugenia was born to see if any of the neighbours took her in.  We've also looked at other members of the family - even as far as Haverfordwest, but to no avail.  She's probably staring me in the face somewhere!  Not giving up yet!

Gayden

[Yasmina4]

Any TB Sanatoriums in evidence .  Just perhaps?

SandraPublic Health in South Wales
School days and children suffering bad health:
I have edited some of this extract which is quoted in Coal Society by David Egan
"Scabies, ringworm and tuberculosis also affected large numbers of children. I can clearly remember one boy whose head was almost covered with scab...........One boy of my own age, flatfooted, like a very old man, his face pale yellow, his large eyes protuding from their sockets......he died young......"
Edmund Stonelake describing his school days at Pontlottyn in the Rhymney Valley at the end of the 19thC taken from his autobiography published 1981.
[Steve Keates 17.5.2000 G

[Yasmina4]

...its an outside chance

RG11  5373 / 36  page 12
16 Penyfon Street, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Richard Owens
wife    Elizabeth A Owens
son    William R Owens
son    David T Owens
daughter Harriet E Owens, 7, born Wales, scholar
son    John Owens