Workhouse mystery

steiner · Post by **steiner** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:15 pm

Hi

An ancestor born and brought up in Glasgow area all her life from 1831 - 1896, married to a man also from Glasgow, had several children all in Glasgow between 1850 - 1874 - ended her days in a workhouse/poorhouse in Govan.

However, in the poorhouse records it appears she was transferred from Tynemouth workhouse in Northumberland.

I cannot understand why she was in Tynemouth as she and the family had no connection with that area. Also there is no more info at Tynemouth other than admission.

Anyone got amy thoughts on why she might have been in Tynemouth?

thanks

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:23 pm

Did her husband work in shipbuilding? That would have been prevalent in both of these areas. He may have moved where the work was. In later years his widow may have fallen upon hard times, and upon applying for poor relief was sent back to her home parish to claim the poor relief (or stay in the poorhouse) there.

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **emanday** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:28 pm

Hi steiner,

Have you checked in the censuses if any of her children (or even a brother or sister) may have been living in Tynemouth at the time?

Govan and Tynemouth maybe had a lot of similar industries back then and some people did go where the work was.

I'm sure I read a post a long time ago about a similar situation. In that case it was a man who'd been living with a son in England and was sent back to his home parish for poorhouse accommodation.

Post by **emanday** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:29 pm

Beat me to it Andrew

steiner · Post by **steiner** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:43 pm

Thanks for the relies. Her husband died several years before Tynemouth - in Glasgow in fact - and he did work in the shipyards.
The children seemed mostly to have been in Glasgow. Her name was Joan Murray born 1830/31 in Neilston/Barrhead/Mearns - I think she was in scotland in 1891 but not totally sure.

Post by **emanday** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:16 pm

Was Joan Murray her married or maiden name? If her maiden name, what was her husbands name?

Have you found any of their children missing from the Scottish censuses at the time she was moved from Tynemouth? If you could find any of them in Tynemouth at the same time it might explain it.

steiner · Post by **steiner** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:49 am

Hi there

Murray was her married name. Couldnt find any children in Tynemouth in 1891.

Post by **emanday** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:22 pm

steiner wrote:Couldnt find any children in Tynemouth in 1891.

It still might be worth checking if she or her husband had any brothers or sisters living there as well.

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:47 pm

steiner wrote:Thanks for the relies. Her husband died several years before Tynemouth - in Glasgow in fact - and he did work in the shipyards.
The children seemed mostly to have been in Glasgow. Her name was Joan Murray born 1830/31 in Neilston/Barrhead/Mearns - I think she was in scotland in 1891 but not totally sure.

She was living with her daughter, Margaret Arthur, in 1891 at Partick.

Regards,
Annette