Lodging House, Caponhall, East Lothian

[Hazel Park]

Hi
Have just spent an interesting day at the John Gray Centre in Haddington and discovered that my Grt Grt Grt grandparents were in receipt of parish relief.  In the minutes of the Parochial Board of Aberlady of approximately December 1869. The minute reads “Margaret Watt to be allowed 2/ a week on the understanding that she has still to take charge of the hospital”.  I have discovered that she was a Matron at the Lodging House, Caponhall, East Lothian for a number of years between 1868 and her death in 1881.

Does anyone know of a "hospital" in this area around these dates?  I know from her husbands death certificate he died in Caponhall - I wonder whether he was a patient in the hospital she worked at?

I was hoping to find their burial sites - though I know they will probably be unmarked graves given their pauper status, it would be nice to at least find where they are laid to rest.

Their details:
Margaret Watt (m/s Hay) born: 18.09.1804, died: 19.11.1881
married on 15.11.1833 to
James Watt born: 26.11.1805, died: 27.11.1877
             
Any help/guidance much appreciated.

Thanks
Hazel 

[diddymiller]

this entry:

http://www.scottish-places.info/parishes/parhistory718.html

mentions 2 hospitals in the area that have disappeared:

disappeared, as have two ancient hospitals at Ballencrieff and Gosford.

both about a mile from aberlady

Diddy

[diddymiller]

Ballencrieff looks a bit too ancient!!

maybe herdmanflat hospital, Aberlady road

Diddy

[Hazel Park]

Thanks Diddy, much appreciated

I'll have a search on Herdmanflat see if I can come up with anything.

H 

[Woodsd]

Hazel

You mention Caponhall, East Lothian, and that you have the husband's death certificate at Caponhall.  But you don't mention which town in East Lothian.

For instance, Haddington had Caponflat House, which was to the north of the town.  Meanwhile, Tranent has an area known as Caponhall.  If you Google Caponflat in Haddington you get at least one mention in a marriage certificate of Caponflat Lodge in 1885 (I think - I've closed the page down).

I would suggest looking your people up on the census returns to identify the addresses they are listed at.  If the addresses come up as Caponhall or Caponflat, you could see who else is registered there (eg lodgers or patients or whatever).  Also, the census returns could help identify the location by seeing what else is registered round about, eg whether Caponhall might be the same as Caponflat in Haddington.  Before census returns were put on-line, I used to search through the microfilms, and that was good because you could follow streets and locations.

Hope that might be some help.  Good luck!

David