Missing death index and certificate [Brickwall]

[River Tyne Lass]

I knew you would say that Sophie! (LOL)

Actually, I was in the North Shields area last night so popped in to have a look at the workhouse 'Minutes' volumes to see if there might be anything mentioned about the food/diets.  In the past I have only looked at the references to people.
Well, it turns out that there were detailed accounts about what was bought in from local tradespeople (these are named as well).  What I saw completely seems to blow away the stereotype about what might be imagined a workhouse might provide.  The food lists contained all sorts - a wide variety of food too much to mention and an assortment of drinks.  There were different types of meat, fish (tinned salmon was on a list) cheeses, fruit (I remember seeing pineapple) loads of stuff .. nothing like you might imagine for workhouse fare.  Tea for the staff cost more than for the inmates so I suppose there must have been a quality difference.
From what I read there also appeared to be an infirm ward in the workhouse as well as a padded room!!  Perhaps James was in poor shape when he got back from the army and went on infirm ward? 
I also stumbled on an entry for John J Playford in the 1913/14 volume (page 259).  I think he will be Dorothy Battista nee Playford's Father.  Apparently, someone called 'Mrs Wilson' of North Shields wanted to be reimbursed for the cost of his interment in the interim of waiting for an insurance policy to be paid out.  This was agreed upon. 

Merry Christmas Everyone!  Here's hoping for more sleuthing in 2020 .. Giovanni has escaped again this year but hopefully we will catch up with him sooner or later!

[Love&Leaves]

I have read a few articles RTL concerning the Workhouse conditions and it does seem as it by the early part of the 20th Century things had improved a lot in terms of the conditions and how inmates, children particularly, were treated.

So regarding John J Playford... Probably just another co-incidence, but I am thinking now of Isabella Wilson who was the woman named on John George Battista pensions as the unmarried mother to his child, born 1912.  John James was definitely Dorothy's father as per her and James' marriage cert 

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi Sophie,

This is the entry:

'John J Playford
The Committee had before them a report from Mr. C. A. Smith, relieving officer as to the claim from Mrs Wilson, of North Shields, to be refunded the sum of £2 6s 1d., expenses incurred by her in the interment of a Hospital inmate named John J. Playford.
Resolved. "That the Master be authorised to pay the claim set out out of the sum of £5 7s 6d at present in his possession from the insurance policy." '

 As you think this might be John George's Isabella I will have a look at the volumes again in the New Year to see if there might be any more about her.  Possibly not but it might be worth another look just in case. 

[Love&Leaves]

Thank you RTL 😊

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

[River Tyne Lass]

Just a thought

Isabella down as Isabella Griffiths Wilson on John George's pension record

.. an Isabella Jane Wilson mmn Griffiths born West Derby 1890 ..

might there be any connection?  Might she have ended up in Tynemouth I wonder?

[Tickettyboo]

Hi RTL

If you are referring to John George Battisa, pte 4088, Northumberland Fusiliers who was killed in action 05.11. 1918 then ..

His entry in the register of soldiers effects (available on ancestry) names his sole legatee as Isabella Wilson (no middle name recorded). Which I assume means that his will (available from the Probate site) named her as his beneficiary. The will may have mentioned a middle name, but the register does not.

However, his pension record card (available on Fold 3) says his widow is Emma (d.o.b. 11.02.92), of 27 Church St. North Shields.
In the section for children it names a Lily Anderson (born before wedlock, d.o.b. 31.08.1910) whose guardian was a Mr John Samuel Anderson.

It appears to say that John George and Emma are separated, and a pension (for the child) is not issuable as long as child is eligible for Separation Allowance in respect of No. 33503 Robert Allen , Northumberland Fusiliers.

A further note says
"authorised to issue  pension of 5/- a week in respect of Lily Anderson (so presumably the separation allowance by Robert Allen was no longer in effect) this is written in red and the last line 'appears' to be obscured by another entry in black which says 18.6.17 taking into consideration any Dis Pens which may have been awarded the child re step-father"

and, on the reverse of the card, it says
" the special G.C. decision 26.3.18. widow not eligible for pension but pension for child Lily should be issued"
NB this is just how I read the writing, its scribbled and I may be wrong so would advise the Battista researchers to look at the records to review the above.

I realise its nit picking (sorry!) to point out the differences between a register of effects and a pension record but it is important to note the sources correctly. What makes sense when we first find a record may be very confusing a couple of years down the line and therefore shed doubt on the conclusions we came to - so the searches etc would have to be repeated to confirm.


Boo

[River Tyne Lass]

Thanks for this Boo.  I thought I could remember a dependant's pension  being paid to an Isabella Griffiths Wilson but I can't remember where I might have come across this. Perhaps I am mistaken in this memory.  I seem to remember something about her being a guardian to an Elizabeth Robson - perhaps her child?  Both at 70 Waterloo Road, Blyth?  I can't access the records at the moment but I will try to think on where this might have come from.
I think it is a good thing to nit pick to get things right, by the way, so I do appreciate your help. 

[River Tyne Lass]

http://www.boltonlams.co.uk/archives/fees-and-charges

Many thanks to the RootsChatter who has contacted to say that Bolton Archives will do 20 minutes of research free.  (I have pm'd back but I am not sure you have received this)  Might this be of any help, Sophie for you to contact them for this 20 mins free research? 

Working back from the birth of Elizabeth (Battista)  Lawson's son's birth (Jack Lawson born 31 March 1912) it might be possible to find her entry when she went into the workhouse within 20 mins.
I think males and females were kept apart so it is more likely he was conceived outside workhouse and that Elizabeth went in in the preceeding months/weeks/days of son's birth.  I wonder the entry  might say more re her next of kin, possibly the 'William a tailor' referenced at Tynemouth?

By the way, I can't see any more references to John James Playford and 'Mrs Wilson' who may or may not have been John George Battista's common law wife.  However, there is info about John J Playford's burial at the library - he died at the workhouse and was buried at Preston Cemetery on 21 Sept 1913.  Grave number looks like 8172 consecrated.

[JenB]

I believe that James Battista 'reinvented' himself with the surname Mathews/Matthews.

We know from RTL's look up that he was born 18th August 1899.

St Cuthbert RC baptism
Jacobus Battista
Born 18 August 1899
Bapt 6 Sept 1899
Son of Joannis & Elizabethae (Helene?) olim Lawson
Grandparents Donatus Alvini & Jane Reid

Using the free search on the 1939 register I looked for the surname Matthews (with variants) in Newcastle upon Tyne with that birthdate. I didn't find anyone, but extending it to one year either side I found a Thomas G Matthews born 18th August 1898.

In the same household was a Lily Mathews born 1915 and a James V Matthews born 1939.

freeBMD shows a Lily Macauley born Newcastle upon Tyne 3rd q. 1915 and a quick check on the 1939 free index confirms Lily Mathews' month of birth as August.

free BMD shows James V Mathews born Newcastle upon Tyne, 3rd q. 1939 mother's maiden surname Macauley

There are three other Mathews births in Newcastle upon Tyne between 1933 and 1938 mother's maiden surname Macauley. Two of them have the middle initial 'B'.

We know that he married as George J. Battista alias George J. Matthews and it seems to me that by 1939 he's become Thomas G Matthews.

I am still hacking away at the very edges of this family, and think I might have discovered what happened to Lily Macauley/Battista/Matthews. I am being very careful with names as some of the people involved may still be alive.

Lily and James appear to have had four children all of whom were registered with the surname Mathews (i.e. one 't')

It looks like the son who was with them in 1939 died in Coventry in 2006. The date of birth on his death registration is identical to that on the 1939. This son also appears to have married in Coventry in 1961.

I noticed that another of their children married in Coventry in 1952.

Then I noticed the birth of two children in 1946 and 1948 in Coventry whose births were registered as Mathews cross-referenced to the surnames Matthews and Smith. In both cases the mother's maiden surname was Macauley. There was also a possible child born 1945.

There was a marriage in Coventry in 1949 of a Lily Macauley and a Charles Smith, followed by the birth of a child also in 1949.

There was then the death of a Lily Smith aged 51 (i.e. born 1915/16 - we know 'our' Lily was born in 1915) in Coventry in 1967. An article in the Coventry Evening Telegraph indicates that this Lily had a husband named Charles and a daughter whose christian name matched that of the child born in 1949.

My feeling is that this is very likely 'our' Lily.

I have sent full details including names to Sophie by PM.