John Ashworth Street vs Union Workhouse, Dearnley - Wuerdale & Wardle, Rochdale

[Alison Smith (nee Hargreaves)]

Can anyone advise if  the "Union Workhouse, Dearnley, Wuerdale and Wardle" is/was situated on John Ashworth Street, Hamer Wuerdle, Rochdale?

I'm trying to ascertain whether my Gt-Gt Grandmother, Sarah Alice LORD, was born there in 1876, as the address on her birth cert is just given as John Ashworth Street, Hamer Wuerdle, Rochdale. 

Her mother was Hannah LORD, and Sarah Alice also had a sister called Clara. (1881 census index has a Hannah aged 27, and a Clara aged 2mths both in the above workhouse, but sadly no relationship is given).

Sarah Alice was illegitimate and I cannot find any reference to her on the 1881 census.

Any information gladly accepted!

Thanks.......  Alison

[Su]

Hi Windflower (lovely name)

If you go to http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/index.html  and type in Rochdale, it will take you to Dearnley Wuerdale and Wardle Workhouse, which also shows photographs of the place.

In 1871 The Union purchased a 24 acre site on the slopes of Birch Hill and Starring Hill, and built Dearnley for £2500.
The following year work began on the new workhouse.

In 1948 it became a single hospital named Birch Hill.

I could see no reference to John Ashworth Street, but if you look at the photo's there is a street directly opposite the gates of the workhouse.  You could do with finding a street map from somewhere.   

The 1881 census is also typed out clearly on the site and I saw the Hannah and Clara Lord you mention, but no Sarah Alice.

I'll take a look around for you and see if I can be of any help.

Kind regards
Su

[Alison Smith (nee Hargreaves)]

Hi Su - thanks for the info.  I'd already found the website on the Dearnley Workhouse, but sadly it does'nt name any streets.

I had a trawl through my 1881 census discs till quite late last night, and managed to find John Ashworth Street!  It seems there were about 20 houses - and I was hoping that one of them might have had a "Garside" or "Hodson" family - but again, I drew a blank.

I'll have to have a hunt around for an old Rochdale map, and see what I can find - as the street doesn't exist today!

Since I posted on the list, my great uncle phoned me again, quite late last night - he was one of Sarah Alice's children - and he'd had a brainstorm that she had been brought up by her auntie (Alice Hodson nee Garside).  I managed to find them all together on the 1891 census - but still not a sign on the 1881!!  More hunting I guess...

I'd be glad to hear from you if you can find anything at all - as this has definitely become my most important brick wall (and my great uncle is now 95 and would dearly love to know more about his mother's family after all these years!!)

Thanks again....  Alison

[Valda]

Information on Rochdale Dearnley workhouse where Hannah and Clara were in 1881 would be irrelvant for Sarah Lord's birth as

The new Dearnley Workhouse was officially opened on Wednesday 19 December 1877, although the inmates were moved from the other houses a few weeks before.

Before the opeing of Dearnley workhouse each of Rochdales 6 townships had their own smaller workhouses
Blatchinworth and Calderbrook,Butterworth, Castleton, Spotland, Wardleworth,  Wuerdle and Wardle

I'd contact Rochdale Library local studies section for further information.

http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/Living/Libraries.asp?URL=local

Usually if someone is born, or dies in a workhouse, it says so on the certificate. The person registering the event is often the workhouse proprietor.

Regards
Valda

[Su]

Hi Windflower

Do you know Hannah's mother's name?

There is a Sarah Lord H Wid 62 Elton Fold Bury and grand dau Sarah Alice age 7 scholar Bury

living in Bury on the 1881.

I know the age of Sarah Alice is out by two years and it says she was born Bury (which could be a mistake)...just on the off chance.

I see what you mean about not being able to find them

But we will keep on looking...don't give up.

Su

[Alison Smith (nee Hargreaves)]

Hi Su!  Thanks for looking, but not the right people I'm afraid.

I had a brilliant breakthrough last night - I found William and Alice HODGSON (not HODSON) on the 1881 census - and guess who was residing with them at 70 Milkstone Road, Castleton, Rochdale......!?!?

Yes - Sarah Alice HODGSON (not Lord) - their niece - aged 4!!!

Further forward, I found the three of them again on the 1891 census, this time at 102 Brougham Street, Burnley - William and Sarah Hodson, with niece Sarah Alice Lord - aged 14!!

Trawling around the census data available on ancestry.com, I've managed to piece together Alice Hodson (nee GARSIDE's) family - back to 1861 - still in Milkstone (no road given) - and there were siblings Ann, unmarried aged 40, and Joseph married aged 35. (Alice was showing as unmarried aged 23).

I can't help thinking that there might have been another sister between Ann and Alice - and she could have married a Mr Lord?!?   Hannah (Sarah Alice's mother) could have been their daughter - which would certainly make Alice Hodson (nee Garside) Sarah's aunt!  Hope this isn't too confusing.

Would there be anyone able to access the 1851 census for the Castleton area??  The family would more than likely be in the same area - as Milkstone keeps cropping up) - and look for a Betty Garside aged about 50 - with children Ann, Alice and Joseph......  This might give some clues as to other siblings.  (Betty was a widow in 1861, aged 60)

I will condense this message down, and put a request on the census lookup section for 1851.

Thanks for you help in this....   Cheers   Alison, Swindon

[Su]

Alsion
That's wonderful news.  It always pays to put 'soundex' up on Ancestry as there are so many mis-interpretations of the names because they can be so hard to read.

I'm thrilled for you.  I'd put a post up on Lancashire Look-ups for the 1851 if I were you....but please don't duplicate your request on census and discussions.  It might mean two people looking for the same family and so one of them wasting their precious research time.

Kind regards
Su

[Yardbird]

Re your post 22 Aug, and your mention of an old Rochdale map, try www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk.

[bobmunc]

Hello,
Regarding Castleton and Milkstone Road. They don't do things the easy way in Rochdale!
The southern part of Rochdale (where the castle was) was known as Castleton, but now it's all simply Rochdale.
Milkstone Road is in Rochdale, about half a mile south of the town centre and can be seen on Google Earth Street View.

However Castleton village is about two miles south of Rochdale on the road to Manchester. This area (including the railway station) was formerly known as Blue Pits.
Hope this helps

BM