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Workhouse records

  • Thread starter Thread starter dearolmadolin
  • Start date Start date
[h=1]Death in the Workhouse [/h]If an inmate died in the workhouse, the death was notified to their family who could, if they wished, organize a funeral themselves. If this did not happen, which was often the case because of the expense, the Guardians arranged a burial in a local cemetery or burial ground — this was originally required to be in the parish where the workhouse stood, but later rules allowed it to be the deceased's own parish if they or their relatives had expressed such a wish. A few workhouses had their own burial ground on or adjacent to the workhouse site.
The burial would be in the cheapest possible coffin and in an unmarked grave, into which several coffins might be placed on the same occasion. Under the terms of the 1832 Anatomy Act, bodies unclaimed for forty-eight hours could also be disposed of by donating them for use in medical research and training — this was not specific to workhouses, but applied to any institution whose inmates died while in its care. Deaths were, however, always registered in the normal way.

Source - workhouses.org.uk
 
My 3xGt. Grandfather died in All Saints Workhouse Infirmary in 1893 and was buried in a public grave in Witton Cemetery. I looked at the microfilm in the Library and then emailed the Cemetery with the details. They sent the grave number, but the plot has been re-used now for private burials.
rosie.
 
Don't forget to check the opening days and times before making a journey, I think you have to book readers now too!

Good luck with your search!
rosie.
 
tandy said:
Does anyone know where people who died in the Birmingham work house were buried. My ancester Robert Edward Tandy died there in 23rd Feb 1880 of Phthsis I assume a type of TB. His wife Emma Tandy also died there I think as records in Marston green childrens home suggest this. I think she may have died in quarter 1877 but I still have to get her death certificate to confim this. The person witnessing the death of Robert Edward Tandy was Mary A Tandy a sister in law Robert had plenty of direct family so I wonder why this was the case.

Gary
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Hi Gary, my name is Marj McConnell (Tandy) this is my great grandfather, I didn't know where he and Emma died. Would love to hear from you please contact me through instant message.
 
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Hello. I am a newbie and not sure where to start with my search. I have just found out that my grandmother was born in Aston Union Workhouse, Erdington, on
2 January 1904. Her name was Elsie Elizabeth Toole. I do not live in the Birmingham area. Where would be the best place to start to find her records? Is there an archive somewhere? I would like to come and have a look around the area. Is the building still there? She was also put into an orphanage in Marston Green. Does anybody know anything about that place? Any help greatly appreciated.
 
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As you know her date of birth I presume you know her parents, are they the other Toole family members that were in the workhouse 1911
Clara Toole age 41 widow born Coventry
Frederick 12, Herbert age 8 , Elizabeth(Elsie?) age 7

1901 Emscote road Handsworth

James Toole age 41 b Coventry occupation Baker
Clara age 38 b. Coventry (nee clarke married James in 1881 Coventry)
Mary ann age 18, Martha age 12 both born Cov
Ada age 8 born Aston
Ruth age 8 b. Coventry
Frederick age 2 b. Vauxhall (an area of Birmingham )

James died in 1910 age 49.

Aston Union Workhouse later became Highcroft Hospital, as well as housing patients with mental problems it housed geriatric patients.
It was a very large impressive Victorian building which has now been developed into apartments and houses and has kept the original gateway
If you go to highcroft Road on Google Streetsearch it will give you an idea of the size of the workhouse, it was the only building in highcroft Road.
Marston Green orphanage later changed and became Chelmsley hospital for children who would nowadays would be diagnosed as having severe learning difficulties.
This too has now been redeveloped into housing and a business park 'Pinewoods'
This is in Coleshill road Marston Green and they too have kept the original Lodge at the entrance.
 
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Hi all your help required if possible.
I have querie regarding some family members who ended up in Aston Workhouse in 1911.
My William Baxter B.1859 and his family is clearly shown in the 1911 census Summary book as living at their long time address at 44 Wharton St Nechells but then on the 1911 census the father William, his children Nellie 18,Alice 9, and Samuel 6, are in Aston Union Workhouse I was hoping someone would know what the time period would be between the taking of the Summary and the actual census night as they seemed to hit hard times very quickly. Fortunately his wife Nellie B.1867 and the youngest son George did not end up there although I have not as yet traced them on the 1911 census. I was hoping someone might know how I can find out at what date they may have left that no doubt dreadful place.

Many thanks regards Acklam19
 
I understood that the summary simply recorded the name of the Head of the household at a particular address and the number of people living there. The 1911 census itself was the 2nd and 3rd April. Presumably someone (the enumerator) filled in his name on the summary as living there but he could have already been in the workhouse.

I think Birmingham Library holds some Aston Union Workhouse records in their Archives.

Janice
 
The entry in the census for 44 wharton st does not have william baxter and family, but Abraham Baxter & family. I understand that copyright prevents me from placing the entry on the forum, but, if you send me your e-mail address by IM, then I can send it to you
 
HI all.
Thank you all for your prompt replies, I see now now the reason for my confusion as l know William and Nellie(Ellen) lived at various address,s in Wharton St including 1 bk 20 and No 4 as William worked as a labourer at the Sewerage farm directly behind Wharton St so l assumed wrongly they were at No 44 in 1911.
The reason l am sure of those address,s is that when the children were Baptised at St Clements Nechells they were the address given so l think l agree with Janice that they may have been in there some time.
Thank you Mikegee for your kind offer but I have come across Abraham before and he has no links at all to my family tree.l hope now to find Ellen and George

Thank you all again regards Acklam19
 
Hi,This is my first post and originally from Birmingham I am no longer in the area.I recently obtained a birth certificate for Nellie Newey 02/03/1906 and her birth address was the workhouse in Erdington.Her mother is listed as Mary,I have 2 questions
1.Would she have to prove identity to enter the workhouse?
2.How do I find out if she was with any other member of the family.
I ask this because Nellie was raised by a Mary Ann but was told she was not her child,but her sister's child.My mother told me this story and Nellie's granddaughter has told me the same.I would appreciate any comments.
 
I've just discovered that my Grandmother gave birth to twins, in March 1910, at number 1 Union Road, Erdington. The name of the person who registered the birth was William C Salmon who on 1911 census is shown as 'Head' of Aston Union Workhouse.
This puzzles me a bit as she was married and I understand that my Grandfather worked with his father in the family business so it's unlikely that they were destitute.
Could the workhouse have doubled as a hospital for what might have been a difficult birth or was it purely a workhouse?
 
Many workhouses also provided medical facilities - see the thread on Dudley Road Hospital, formerly the workhouse.

Maurice :cool:
 
Aston Union Workhouse became Higcroft Hall Hospital. As well as being an institution for people with mental heath issues, it also had a geriatric ward too. As it was quite a large institution, I would not be surprised if it did not have the facility to deal with days to day medical problems.
 
Phil B said:
Here’s a ‘tear jerker’ story and I apologize for the length…….

I'm looking for any information concerning my maternal Grandmother, Gertrude Harley Webb.
I have a document that states she was residing at "The Workhouse, Selly Oak" on the 20th May 1921, she was born on 17th September 1895.
I believe this "Workhouse" became "Selly Oak Infirmary" and eventually became "Selly Oak Hospital".
However, prior to this, from her son’s birth certificate, Harold Leslie Webb, I’ve found that he was born on 25 June 1920 at 1 Union Street, which I found out as being 'ASTON Workhouse'.
This means his mother, Gertrude, was residing here at ASTON Workhouse in 1920, before moving to SELLY OAK Workhouse.
Incidentally her daughter, my mother, Violet Elsie was born in 1917 at 26 Perrott Street, Winson Green.
Harold was later killed at Dunkirk on 20 May 1940 aged 19.

From the web site https://www.workhouses.org.uk/ I found that ASTON Workhouse later became Highcroft hospital which now provides psychiatric care.
Also from this web site it states a number of different records can be found at the Central Library, these are:

Records include: Guardians' minute books (1836-1912); Creed registers (early 1900s onwards); Various workhouse infirmary patient records (early 1900s to 1980s); Register of adopted children (1903-11); Register of deserted children (1897-1912); Cottage Home registers 1889-1924. Guardian’s minute books (1783-1930); Indoor relief lists (1889-1915); Baptism registers (1864 onwards).

But “the spanner in the works” is... I cannot get at these records because these records are covered by a 100 year closure period in order to comply with Data Protection legislation and are not generally available to view. I must have legal permission to look at them and the Central Library, at the moment, has no legal representative they can contact.

I'm trying to find out what happened to Gertrude after the 'workhouse' any information relating to Gertrude or Harold or Violet at this time (1920ish) would be very much appreciated.
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My mother had fond memories of a 'Harold Webb,' whom she met in the early 1930s in Baskerville Open Air School. She loved the school and her time there, recovering from rheumatic fever. She thought Harold might have been from Deritend and believed his mum, or relative, had a sweet shop.

Unfortunately my mum passed away from Covid last year, aged 96, but I have a video of her talking about her early life and the mention of a Harold Webb.
 
Trob said:
My mother had fond memories of a 'Harold Webb,' whom she met in the early 1930s in Baskerville Open Air School. She loved the school and her time there, recovering from rheumatic fever. She thought Harold might have been from Deritend and believed his mum, or relative, had a sweet shop.

Unfortunately my mum passed away from Covid last year, aged 96, but I have a video of her talking about her early life and the mention of a Harold Webb.
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Hi Trob, welcome to the forum and sorry for your loss. My Uncle Harold was from Winson Green not Deritend, I think you have the wrong Harold Webb. Have you any more information about him or his mother Gertrude Harley Webb to establish if this is the same person? I haven't found any one with a sweet shop in the family.
Phil
 
Phil B said:
Hi Trob, welcome to the forum and sorry for your loss. My Uncle Harold was from Winson Green not Deritend, I think you have the wrong Harold Webb. Have you any more information about him or his mother Gertrude Harley Webb to establish if this is the same person? I haven't found any one with a sweet shop in the family.
Phil
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Hi Phil,
Wow. Thanks for the prompt reply.
It was a bit of 'a long shot'. Mum was born in 1923 and, as a child, lived in Sparkbrook. She became ill at the age of 10 and went to Moseley Infirmary ( a grim place for a 10 year old), then moved to Baskerville Open Air School. She became very good friends with a Harold Webb who would also have had a similar illness. When he left the school she remembers visiting him at a shop and being given a bag of sweets from his mother, but she went back to the school and never saw him again. It is the only name, other than the teachers , that she recalled. Your mother would have known if your uncle had been admitted to the school, so probably not the same Harold. Although when I read that your uncle was killed at Dunkirk that did bring a tear or two. Their early years were hard times. Best wishes.
 
LHStringer said:
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:
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Hi I am searching for a death at Aston Union Workhouse, George Clayton 2 years old. I have a file number 1545545 Ref P124L991. I believe this child was the son of Sarah Clayton who died in the workhouse aged 41 on 10/5/1999. How do I find out how to get more information? I live in Australia.
 
I assume you mean 1899.

I can see a death registration for Sarah Clayton, Jun qtr 1899 Aston.

And I can see a death registration for a George Clayton (age 2), Jun qtr 1900 Aston. However, if this is the one you're enquiring about then he appears to be the son of a George Clayton and Sarah Cartwright of Whitehouse St. There is a corresponding baptism & burial record for him (30 Jun).
 
MWS said:
I assume you mean 1899.

I can see a death registration for Sarah Clayton, Jun qtr 1899 Aston.

And I can see a death registration for a George Clayton (age 2), Jun qtr 1900 Aston. However, if this is the one you're enquiring about then he appears to be the son of a George Clayton and Sarah Cartwright of Whitehouse St. There is a corresponding baptism & burial record for him (30 Jun).
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Thank you so much.
MWS said:
I assume you mean 1899.

I can see a death registration for Sarah Clayton, Jun qtr 1899 Aston.

And I can see a death registration for a George Clayton (age 2), Jun qtr 1900 Aston. However, if this is the one you're enquiring about then he appears to be the son of a George Clayton and Sarah Cartwright of Whitehouse St. There is a corresponding baptism & burial record for him (30 Jun).
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The young boy who died was Sarah's nephew. In future I will follow the hint of the Street names.
 
Aston Union Workhouse


Hello. I am new to this site. Was just wondering if any one had old photos or any information on the Aston Union Workhouse. I have just found out by looking at my family tree that my 4 x great granduncle died in there in 1885. His name was Titus Broomhall, he wasn't in there in the 1881 census so i assume he went in there after that. I know it later became Highcroft Hall Mental hospital and wondered if it was still standing today. Thank you in advance.
 
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