Genealogy Chat

Hi. Im looking for a couple of people who seem to have disappeared off the face of the Earth! my Mother in Laws great Nan Jane Gough was brought up in the Strand Union Workhouse with her brother Hugh (b1865 and 1867). Their parents were Hugh and Jane Corrigan. We believe Jane was Irish, but we are unable to find a marriage or their death and we have no idea why they were raised there. Could someone please take a look for me and see if you can find anything?

Sorry are we looking for Corrigans or Goughs? Pippa

id like to find Jane Corrigan and her husband Hugh. Sorry all these Jane's and Hughs!

Do you have Jane 's maiden name? Do you have any reason to believe that Jane and Hugh left their children in the workhouse, other than that they were orphaned? nell

Come on Robyne-locations please-help us help you chap!

sorry im probably not making any sense at all Hugh and Jane Gough (1865 and 1867) were in the 1881 census in Strand Union Workhouse. We know their parents were Hugh Gough and Jane Corrigan. We believe Jane sr was born in Ireland. We are unable to find a marriage and any deaths between 1867 and 1881 to say that they died and didnt just abandon their children (hugh and jane jr)

This is the ref from 1881: Jane GOUGH Inmate Female 16 Middlesex, England Scholar Hugh GOUGH Inmate Male 14 Middlesex, England Scholar Institution 'Strand Union Childrens Establishment' Census Place Edmonton, Middlesex, England Family History Library Film 1341339 PRO Ref RG11 Piece / Folio 1391 / 82 Page 11 If you know their parents' names, do you know WHERE in Middlesex Jane & Hugh Gough were born? The workhouse records would probably be able to tell you if these children were orphans. nell

Info about the school, photos and plans here: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/Strand/Strand.shtml nell

Why do you think Jane Corrigan was born in Ireland? If so, perhaps she and Hugh married there, in which case you won't find them in the GRO indexes. nell

we had no idea they were born in Middlesex we always thought they were born in Kent, so seeing them as Middlesex was a bit of a shock. there have been stories handed down over the years of an Irish connection, and someone we have found recently also believes she was Irish. Im ok with the marriage not being found, i guess its just a curiosity really as to why they were left there. whether they were dumped or whether the parents died. Just seems a bit sad really.

There's this death of a Hugh Gough in London ..... but there are a few Hugh Gough's about Deaths Jun 1875 ---------------------------------------- GOUGH Hugh 55 St. Giles 1b 328

Best friend's ggg uncles were in the workhouse in 1881. It took us forever, but eventually we found the settlement examination when they and their mother were admitted. It told us masses of information, including the parents' marriage details (celebrated on the eldest boy's 3rd birthday!). The creed registers provided all sorts of other info, including religion. There is never any guarantee as to how much survives, but it is definitely worth looking for the records. We even found the name and address of the father's employers.

thanks chloe, might get that death cert and see what it says. Have also found a Jane Gough death and Hugh and Jane born in Middlesex too! its amazing what you can find when you look properly! Thanks for everyones help

Brenda, how did you manage to find all that? Was it in the LMA?

What makes you say they were 'brought up in the workhouse'? Perhaps you have accessed the admission and discharge registers? If not it may be worth seeing if they are in the LMA and taking a look as often families (or children in this case) didn't go in for long periods but were in and out depending on the fortunes of the breadwinner. For example having found 3 of my 2X removed cousins in the workhouse schools in 1891 I convinced myself that they had been abandoned there long term, only to discover that gt uncle who had left them there on that occasion was a regular in the workhouse but rarely stayed more than a few days and often would discharge the children as well, only to turn up with them again when presumably work and lodgings were hard to come by.

Brenda, I have lots of people in the workhouse - How do you find these 'creed register' things. ?? Dea

in the 1881 census, the inmates of the school are listed by parish, and all those of unknown parish are just 'Middlesex'. This suggests they were listed by going through the filing cabinet, where they were probably filed by parish responsible rather than actual birthplace. There must have been some reason why these two kids were considered to be the Strand Union's responsibility, but I wouldn't push the evidence any further than that. No inmate has birthplace 'Unknown' in the census, so it looks as if all the Unknowns (there must have been some) were put down as Middlesex. If the question was ever asked (who would there be to ask if the parents were dead?) it's hard to see how the answer would be 'definitely Middlesex but no idea where in Middlesex', not just in one case but in dozens of cases.