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Aston Union Workhouse

smithy

smithy

master brummie
Hya all

My husbands grandmother (Emily Hannah Smith nee Wilcox) ended her days in this place.
I have found out that she was a widow and died of Diabetes in 1909.
The children were evidently with her.
Would anyone be able to help me with

a) Is there a register of the dates of entrance and leaving this place.
b) At what age do children leave these places.
My husbands father (Thomas Smith) was her youngest son.
It is amazing to find out, as my husband (Thomas Smith) has had diabetes from the age of 17 and the family never knew.

My husband was his fathers only son and the youngest child of the family.
The older children being all girls.
 
Hi Smithy,

My Great Great Grandmother died in workhouse Infirmary in January 1899 - Birmingham Library hold some registers (not all) and I was lucky that they held the register that contained my GGm .

These registers are in the Archive section but the problem you may have is because your relative died 1909 then the register may be "closed" - the Hundred Year rule may apply but it is worth checking with the Library :):)
 
What do the records tell you? Is there any more information than on a death certificate?

My great grandfather died in August 1930 at 18 Union Road, Erdington, which , I believe was the 'infirmary'. He isn't on any electoral role and the last address I have for him, before 1930, is on the 1901 census. Would the records be able to fill in any gaps?
 
It gave me deatails of how long she was in the infirmary, whether she was an inmate (yes) - also gave details of n.o.k - address/ - this was useful for me to fill in a gap between 1891 and 1901 - she had lived with her daughter in 1891 but 1901 census they had all disappeared, but the info from the workhouse record helped me track her daughter down to an address which eventually came up on the 1901 census

I would imagine the 100 year rule would definately apply to anyone in Workhouse in 1930's
 
re- aston union workhouse

Hya Many thanks for the info.
I will give it a try when I go to the library.
 
Union Road

Good luck with your visit to the library. I am looking for information on my grandmother who died at 18, Union Road in 1931. The 100 year rule does not apply to military records so why should it apply to hospital records? Keep us posted
Regards
Tony
 
18 Union Rd, Erdington

Hi Tonydol & welcome too,,,:)

Put some details on "Surnames", trying to find sections
your Grandmother, birth/marriage, 1901 census info if you have it
then folks on here can assist your tracing, Elec Rolls prob reqd.

18 Union Rd, Erdington,, is that Highcroft Hospital ? or
Jaffrey Hosp,, i always get them mixed up,
Anyone out there clarify? Thanks John Y :cool:
 
Aston Workhouses

Hello Smithy: Maybe some of the children were placed in orphan homes, such as Dr. Barnardos. Over 100,000 children were sent from the U.K. over to Canada to work on farms. If you can give me the names of the children I can search the Canadian government site for you which lists many of the children who came over. If you think this is a possibility there are other sites that can be searched. Our family didn't know how my father arrived in Canada as he joined WW1 when he was 17 and never saw him family in England again. I just discovered this information about 20 years ago and we were certainly surprised by this information. Also, there is quite a lot of information on this site about Home Children. There is also a lot of discussion about workhouses and home children on two different sites that I belong to. Isobel (Ontario)
 
Hi Smithy,

I think it's only a 50yr closure 100yrs on Census. You will find the admission indexes for Aston Union in Central Library as I did. Also Aston Board of Guardians (Mintues). Some of the records have been lost.
I have photocopies of Medical Records of a Grand Uncle up to 1948.

Happy Hunting
ShirleyMay:)
 
John ,Union road was where Highcroft Road is, just off Fentham road ,Erdington.I think the road name was changed when ther Aston Union workhouse became the Highcroft hospital.
 
I have just received a very scant report from Birmingham Library which I paid $50 CAD. Apparently the majority of registers for the early 20th century are in too fragile a state to be examined. They tell you this after they take your money of course. On a happier note I found my Great Thomas Henry Manton (Jeweller) 35 yrs- Admitted 1 Apr 1891 to the Winson Green Asylum and discharged to Aston Union!!!! 18 July 1891 Age of first attack 34 yrs.
No other info was given to me. Should I assume that Aston Union is a Workhouse or a Hospital such as Highcroft? I have not been able to find his death date is there a cemetery near the hospital that I could search?
Thanx in advance for any assistance.
 
Hi Dogwood: Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear that you had to pay $50 CAD and not receive any worthwhile information. There is quite a lot of information on this site about the Workhouses especially Highcroft Hall-Aston Union. If you look at the very top bar on this thread you will see the links
to Workhouses. Homes, Hospital Workhouses.

I have been unable to find out any information as to where inmates of
Highcroft Hall were buried. Someone else might know and there are
contact links on these websites where you could probably find out this information. As for lists of inmates at Highcroft. There is a census for 1871
listing their names. Good luck

Where about in British Columbia do you live? I live near to Vancouver.
 
I have found people in asylums and workhouses listed in census's but they are usually listed with just initals. I have read that sometimes the chemicals used in the jewellery industry caused many health problems maybe this is what caused his first attack. My relative was in an Asylum due to epilepsy.
 
Wendy - I too have a relative who was in an asylum - the City Asylum in Lodge Road. He had been a japanner all his life and I wondered if this work might have led to his condition. He went into the Asylum at the same time as his stepmother went into the Workhouse Infirmary around 1891 and he died in there in 1909.

His death certificate state he had Dilation of Heart. Syncope for 17 years. A condition that is treatable today more than likely.

Judy
 
Hi, I am a bit confused! I have an ancestor who died in the Aston Union Workhouse, Erdington in 1890. I just rang the archives in Birmingham and the genealogist told me that no registers have survived, only administrative papers which contain no names. Reading the other posts here suggests that at least some do??
Can anyone throw any light on this?
thanks :rolleyes:
 
Hi Again
Yes I am from Vancouver, BC the area around White Rock. The librarian Doreen at
Birmingham Library is so busy she kept forgetting to write me back it took weeks and weeks to finally get results. I was surprised that they have not microfiched the registers for the early 20th century. I was interested in Winson Green Asylum 1891 so apparently those were available but many were too fragile so what is the point of saving them if you can't utilize the information. Perhaps they are saving them for the Mayor or something :) Anyhow. Should they film them once they would be available for everyone's perusal and the fragile ones could be kept in a vault then everyone would be happy.
The 1891 Census only mentioned TH Manton -Jeweller in the Asylum but because there weren't any other TH Manton's in the census I kinda figured it was mine.
That being said I do wonder why I can't find his death record, him being the only Thomas Henry Manton.
I will try to find out more about the Illnesses of Jewellers in the Birmingham Quarter.
thanks for the website.
 
Hi Dogwood,

I know that many of the records held by the Library pertaining to the various workhouses/asylum/infirmary's are in a poor state of repair, however I found my great great grandmother in Western Rd Infirmary in 1899 but earlier records were unavailable as they were fragile. I was told that they will be restored and it is the Libraries intention to have all the records they do have restored in next two years thus making them available to the public.

They rely on B'ham City Council giving them funding to complete this work
.... I shall say no more :);)!!
 
Hi Dogwoodtravel - What year were you thinking he died? There is a Thomas Henry Manton who got married in Birmingham in the June quarter of 1900 to Sarah Jane Bennett. They are shown in the 1901 census as living at 1 Severn Grove, Difford Road, St George parish. He was a Silversmith aged 35 and born in Aston. Do you think this might be your man? Judy
 
Thank You so much for your help!-
I have never searched the 1901 Census because my Thomas Henry Manton was born 1856 Aston Warwickshire. married Fanny Lizars Morrison 18 Nov 1876, Birchfield, Handworth, Staffordshire. His family immigrated to Canada in 1902 because he was deceased by that time. This much was passed on through family hearsay. They said he died in the late 1880's which doesn't appear to be true now.
Thomas's father was James Manton also a Jeweller & Silversmith [FONT=&quot]According to Birmingham Reference Library in 1881 , T H Manton had a shop in Linwood Road, Handsworth, which is part of Birmingham. His father James Manton had a shop at 37 Great Hampton Street Birmingham and lived in Birchfield. My [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Thomas Henry Manton in the 1881 Census was employed as a Master Silversmith in charge of 40 employees, living at Ashdale House, Yardley, Worcestershire. The year before he had been living at 84 Lozells Rd. Aston.
It was a surprse to me to find T.H. Manton in the 1891 Census 35 yrs old, Jeweller in the Asylum- but who knows what health problems he may have had, what with
little or no ventilation, constant toxic fumes, working with Silver solders which had cadmium in them causing lung damage and Silver Chloride which could cause blindness. I don't know much about Jewellery making but the occupational hazards were daunting.
I just went into my old 2003 research and noticed a comment about a second [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Thomas Hy Manton on - Golden Hillock Road? I must have suspected another one whom was probably not a Silversmith.
I am also noting that there was another Thomas Henry Manton born Dec quarter 1865 perhaps it was he who married Sarah Jane Bennet in 1900 June Quarter.
I wonder if they were related. Hmm so much to ponder.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
 
Hello again - I have checked again from the information you have given, and it seems that your Thomas Henry Manton did die before the 1901 census as I have found his widow Fanny L Manton (a widow of 43) with their children, Beatrice 21, Hubert/or Herbert 19, Florence 18. They are living in Chaworth Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. Fanny was from Ipswich.

Have you been able to find Fanny in the 1891 census? I have found Thomas in the asylum, Beatrice living with her aunt, and Archie living with his maternal grandparents, but couldn't find Fanny. I haven't found a death for Thomas Henry.

Good luck in your search.

Judy
 
Last edited:
Thank you

I put a request into 1901 Census and now have two threads in progress.
Brilliant!
[FONT=&quot]Thomas Henry Manton did die before the 1901 census as his widow Fanny L Manton (a widow of 43) with their children, Beatrice 21, Hubert/or Herbert 19, Florence 18. They are living in Chaworth Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. Fanny was from Ipswich.
Details regarding the children. Hubert Frank Manton born 10 Apr 1878 Birmingham,
Archibald Thomas James Manton born 4 Oct 1877 Birmingham, Beatrice Maude Manton born 26 April 1878, Erdington, Aston,, Florence May Manton born (best guess Sept quarter 1881 Solihull.
I had forgotten that [/FONT][FONT=&quot]in 1891 they were living at 124 Bordesley Green.
and Archibald was living with his grandparents, Archibald Morrison born 1823 Scotland and Susan Jackson born 1826 Louth, Lincoln.
Archibald Morrison was working for The Small Arms Company, Aston

So I am back to looking for a cemetery for Thomas Henry Manton between 1891 and 1901 but if the family history is correct it would be closer to 1891. I should be looking in the directories I suppose to try to glean where they were during these years. sincerely thank you
[/FONT]
 
Dogwood

Are you still trying to find a cemetery close to the hospital/workhouse.

My Great Grandmothers second husband, Thomas Lambeth, died at "18 Union Road" in March 1926. He is buried in a public grave at Witton Cemetery, which isn't to far away. Have you tried there??

Stephen
 
Thank you
Yes I did contact Witton Cemetery and they responded that they do not do Cemetery searches. Then to my delight a week later I was emailed by the Friends of Witton Cemtery and they had in fact done a cemetery search for
Thomas Henry Manton and he was not found there.
On the bright side I have only recently found Thomas Henry Manton
on BDM Registration born 1855 2nd quarter which was never there before.
So now I have a chance to order his birth registration. My research continues...
 
My great Grandfather father died there. He was buried at Yardley cemetery. I think this was because his son, who registered his death, lived in that area. If you have the death certificate, check the address of the person who registered it, that may give you an idea where to look.
 
Does anyone know if there are records of admissions available to view? Looking for my GGG grandmother who was an inmate there around 1870.
 
thomas henry manton born 1866 in aston birmingham married sarah jane bennett born 1874. they married in 1900. thomas was a silversmith in birmingham and died in 1925 from lung cancer. they had 3 children. the youngest, horace, was my father born in 1910. there are many mantons with the names henry or thomas born in the late 1800s and are difficult to place. i am looking for thomas henrys grandparents, but am finding it quite difficult. his father was thomas also. there are several thomas or henry mantons who could be his father. several mantons from birmingham particularly aston were jewellers so i think they are related. i would be interested if anyone knows the parents of thomas manton born 1839 who married mary a born 1841.
 
Hi there,I've found this birth/christening.From IGI
THOMAS MANTON
 Birth: 03 SEP 1839
Christening: 28 JUN 1841 Saint Phillips, Birmingham, Warwick, England
Father: HENRY MANTON
Mother: ANN
I think this could possibly be the birth certificate reference for the above:
Thomas Manton
Year of Registration: 1839
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Birmingham (1837-1924)
County: Warwickshire
Volume: 16
Page: 236
 
hi ladylinda. thanks for your information relating to thomas manton. i have traced that line but found that thomas married ann rochford. my gt grandfather, thomas married mary a. i have come across three possible fathers: james born 1799 in northampton, thomas born 1802 in northampton who married elizabeth born 1802 or john born 1807 in brearely, warks who married jane 1807. each of them had a son thomas born around 1840, but i can find no other information. perhaps someone can give me some information. thanks again.
 
dogwoodtravel said:
Thank you
.....Then to my delight a week later I was emailed by the Friends of Witton Cemtery...
Click to expand...
Hi, I'm also trying to find a grave at Witton Cemetery and I was wondering if you could send me details of how to contact "Friends of Witton Cemtery"
Thanks
 
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