Question about a residence on 1881 .....

[BarbR]

I'm not sure if this post in in the correct category, please feel free to move it to somewhere more appropriate if need be.

I found a possible ancestor living at 95 Renfield St, Barony, Lanark on the 1881 census along with 25 others!
It appears to be a boarding house for women, most are unmarried 2 are widowed. There are 11 unemployed and 10 employed boarders as well as 4 Servants and a Superintendant and her Assistant.

I am having trouble trying to imagine a residence large enough to house so many people and how would it stay open with so many boarders unemployed Does anyone know where I might be able to find out more about this place?

Thanks
Barbara

[emanday]

I don't recollect seeing anything about a Poorhouse in Renfield Street and, as you say, a boarding house with so many unemployed women seems unlikely.

Perhaps it was some kind of refuge. The presence of a Superintendant would suggest something along those lines.

Possibly someone with more knowledge will be along soon with more information.

[BarbR]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Mary.
It's a puzzle, the servants include a cook and kitchenmaid and 2 housemaids, so hardly sounds like a poorhouse. The ages of the boarders range from 17 to 44 years old. The superintendant is 54 and her assistant 18 years old.

I look forward to someone with some knowledge of the area shedding a little light...

Barbara

[Mr_P]

On the 1901 Census, 95 Renfield Street appears to be Blair's Hotel. However, just round the corner at 80 Bath Street is the YWCA - the Young Women's Christian Association, which would presumably give refuge to women regardless of their state of employment. Bath Street crosses Renfield Street so I wonder if in 1881 95 Renfield Street was either part of the same building or another building used to house the women?

Hope this helps a bit!

Paul M

[emanday]

The YWCA is certainly a thought Paul. I wasn't sure if there was one there in 1881.

Maybe it occupied the building then that later became Blairs Hotel and the YWCA moved to Bath Street.

[BarbR]

Thank you for that Paul. It certainly sounds like a possibility and one that hadn't crossed my mind.

http://www.ywcascotland.org/about/history.html

states:

The YWCA began in 1855 through the vision of two women,
Mary Jane Kinnaird and Emma Robarts.
Mary Jane Kinnaird opened the first hostel, a ‘Home for Girls’ in London. The hostel was particularly intended for Florence Nightingale’s nurses returning home from serving in the Crimea. She later opened the first ‘women’s club’ in England a room in Pall Mall where seamstresses and mill girls gathered for Bible classes.

Emma Robarts formed prayer circles for girls who were working in service. These groups had to meet at 9.00pm when the girls’ working day was finally over. The young women also learned reading and writing.

In 1859 ladies’ meetings began in Edinburgh and Kelso that later formed the first branches of the YWCA in Scotland. A Glasgow YWCA followed in 1874.

I can't just find it's location, but it sounds like there was one in those days.

Thanks
Barbara

[JustJean]

Just as what Paul has given you above from the 1901 census.......the free header view from the 1891 census page linked to an individual residing at the address of 95 Renfield St we find the following notation at the end of the enumeration district description:

NB in this district are included
1st Blairs Hotel, 95 Renfield St, Mrs. Blair
2nd Christian Association House 80 Bath St., Miss Isab. Grant Matron

It appears that both were in existance in 1891.

Best wishes
Jean

[BarbR]

Thanks for that Jean, it looks as though the two buildings were close enough, perhaps as Paul said, on a corner and they may even have traded uses between '81 and '91.
It would be nice to know for sure, but from the list of women occupying 95 Renfield St on 1881 it certainly looks like a WYCA.
The birth places of the women are from all over Scotland, 2 from Ireland, 1 from England and even one from Gibraltar and another from "Egga Island Of" (wherever that is ).

Always learning

Barbara

[AndrewP]

...and another from "Egga Island Of" (wherever that is ).

Hi Barb,

Most likely the Isle of Eigg (pronounced Egg and sometimes found spelled as Egg) in the Inner Hebrides, Small Isles parish.

Another outside possibility to beware of in Renfield Street is that the street could have been re-numbered at some stage.

All the best,

AndrewP

[BarbR]

Thank you Andrew. I remember another post I had about a place in Edinburgh where you did indeed find the street had been renumbered at some point.
I didn't think of Eigg, thanks for that also.

I certainly have a lot of people for my one credit on SP, too bad there wasn't a place to share such info.

Barbara