Genealogy Chat

I have never had to deal with this issue before and i am trying to help someone but i was just wondering . If i women was single and with child and was in a workhouse would they be in a workhouse in the area that they lived or would they be sent some where else . Hope this makes sense Cath

I know this is slightly off the track -but I`ve got a relly who was an unmarried mother and she went to the parish church and declared she was pregnant in front of the Kirk Session -in Scotland. We have a copy of the meeting. Rosalyn

hi cath, i had one of those, mine was born in gloucestershire, she was still in that same area as a servant in 1881, then in 1883 she was living in a workhouse in dewsbury yorshire where she gave birth to my great grandfather, so maybe she was sent away. i do know that a lot of unmarried mothers was sent away for childbirth in years gon by. tracey.

Thanks for your replies . Back to the drawing board for me then . Cath

Cath Unless the parish she was living in could find a chap to support her, or send her back to her home parish (where she was born) she would be in the local workhouse, I imagine. Give us some details and we may be able to help. Whenabouts was this? nell

Thanks for the offer Helen . What my friend has told me is that Edwin Shaw was the son of Lucy Shaw unmarried . Edwin was born in Walton Workhouse Liverpool 1876 .She has his birth cert but no mention of a father . But on Edwin's marriage cert he states his father was William Shaw a brass finisher {dec } and on the death cert of Lucy Shaw it says widow of William Shaw. In 1881 Edwin was in the Mill Rd Hospital for sick and poor and Lucy was in walton Workhouse Liverpool 1891Edwin was living in Yorkshire as an Adopted son with Charlesworth Shaw . What i can not find is Lucy any earlier . there is 2 born in Liverpool on the 1871 census both Servants but that would n,t help to narrow down who her parents were . Cath.

So do you think William and Charlesworth Shaw are the same chap? I'll see what I can find on the census. nell

No, I see Charlesworth is only 10 years older than his 'adopted' son! nell

If Lucy is unmarried on Edwin's birth cert, I reckon he made up William for the sake of respectability. Did he register Lucy's death, because that would explain why she was apparently a widow? I can't find any Lucy b. 1845ish in Liverpool on 1851 census, which is where you would expect to find her with her parents. But of course 'Liverpool' is a wide area and she may have been born nearby. nell

I think the next step would be to go to the records office and consult the workhouse registers of admission and discharge and see when/why Lucy was admitted and if there is any further information which would help to find her earlier. nell

Silly question but where would i find the workhouse register. Cath Going out for the night will check back later . Many thanks for every ones help.

Cath As I said in my reply, 'the relevant records office'! nell

If you were very poor and in need of medical care, the workhouse hospital was usually the only place you could go. It does not necessarily mean she was destitute. Maybe she was not actually married to the father at the time of the birth, and had nowhere else to go for the birth, but married the father later. Tina

Cath, I was reading a great story yesterday from the Liverpool Echo about workhouses in this area, it was based on a book written by JENNIFER WORTH called SHADOWS OF THE WORKHOUSE and the main workhouse in liverpool was 'the size of a small town with mile upon mile of dank corridors and row upon row of dirty smelling beds' another quote! 'there were many other workhouses, including those at Toxteth Park Mill Rd, belmont, smithdown Rd, and Walton, all which were run by the poor law unions set up to care for the destitute.'I think the quote which will help you the most concerns the authors aunt who arrived at a refuge for fallen women after being in service from 11yrs old and becoming pregnant in her mid teens,'She gave birth but she never saw her baby, it was taken off her immediately,' ' and she was only allowed to stay there for a short time after the birth.' ' Because she had no job and she was obiously very poor she had to go to the workhouse and she never ever came out again' It goes on to say that when the author met her aunt she was an old lady and institutionalised. it is harrowing reading and explains the jobs and daily routines of the inmates, the book is on my christmas list and cannot wait to read it...Best Wishes ...MOE!

(www.)workhouses.(com) fantastic site

Cath, I had a very similar situation with my mother. She was born in the Workhouse in 1942, Her mother died when she was 6 years old, and she has never known who her father was (he was not listed on her birth cert). A couple of years ago I contacted the Record office where this Workhouse used to be. They were a great help. They traced my mothers birth in the records, From that they had her mothers address at the time of pregnancy ( a sort of assylum). They then traced the assylum records for any refernce to my grandmother. By an AMAZING stroke of luck those records NAMED the man who had made my grandmother pregnant!! After loads of hassel I was eventually told my grandfathers name and that he had died. I traced this man, found out when and whom he married, The names of his other children etc. When I put his name into the search on this site I found that his daughter was on this site. With careful treading I contacted her and told her my story. ( I didn't tell my mum any of this at the time). This lady was very understanding about things and even sent me photos of my grandfather. His resemblance to my mother was asstounding! It was the best day in the world when I not only told my mum that I knew who her father was, but also that I had pictures of him!! Contact the Record Office!!! Good luck. Pat

what a amazing story Pat I would have been over the moon too hope I find a couple of mine like that

Thanks every one .I have contacted my freind and she is going to ring the records office to see what records are still available Cath