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John Charles Bickley

C

ClaireFF

Brummie babby
John was my great-great uncle. He was born in Wolverhampton in 1869 but in 1881 was in King's Norton Union Workhouse. After that I lose him. Can someone direct me to the discharge records for the Workhouse (if they exist) which might take me a bit further. Thank you.
 
Thank you for the link as I hadn't seen this site before. It's a shame so few records seem to have survived
 
when i went up to the library a few years back i was told that they have no surviving records for the workhouse but it is always worth asking again...if you lose him after 1881 have you considered that he may have died in the workhouse? have you checked the death records?

lyn
 
I checked the GRO death records between 1881 and 1891 with no joy, I searched under Charles John just in case but nothing. However on the suggestion of emigration I have found a John Bickley who was born in October 1869 in England living with his wife Marian and daughter Elsie in San Francisco. I cannot find them on the Ellis Island website but this isn't foolproof. I will now do some further searching. Thank you.
 
They are in San Francisco in other years, the dob's change but it doesn't appear to be him. Here's his grave...

www.findagrave.com

John Bickley (1859-1943) – Find a Grave...

www.findagrave.com www.findagrave.com

...There's a an associated death that lists his mmn as Chester and there's a corresponding birth registered in Ellesmere, Dec qtr 1858.
 
Thanks very much for this. Back to the drawing board then. I wonder if he may have changed his name on leaving the workhouse. I think I have to face up to the fact I may never know.
 
Unlike many young workhouse inmates he was not an orphan , his mother died in 1903 and his father in 1917,so was he put in there by his parents because he was a 'naughty boy' (Yes they could do that.).

Perhaps as he was estranged from his family he went elsewhere maybe even Australia which many young men did.
 
Emigration to anywhere apart from US, Canada and to a lesser extent is difficult to trace so don't give up on him turning up somewhere. Joining the army and dying somewhere abroad is a possibility.

Lost relatives are frustrating, the closer the relative the more frustrating.
 
it would be good to know why he was placed in the workhouse, I cannot find any report in the papers of the relevant period. As MWS says he may turn up somewhere. Abigail and Henry had another five children before 1880 so maybe they just couldn't cope with his 'bad' behaviour.
 
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