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  • Baby born in workhouse

    I have traced a (female) relative whose illegitimate daughter was born in Toxteth Park Workhouse in Liverpool - both of them are listed in the 1861 census with the baby aged 7 months. After this all sign of the baby disappears from the records and I suspect either an early death or an adoption. Some years later the mother of this child married my ancestor and there is no sign of her first child in any later records. I haven't been able to find any record of the baby's death (or, come to that, her birth, except for the note on the census that she was born in the workhouse) and I wonder whether any special circumstances might have applied to workhouse births, deaths or adoptions - was it usual for any of these to go unrecorded or might they have been recorded some considerable time after the event, for example? I've been searching, so far, for dates that assume the age given on the census must be pretty accurate because I'd have thought it would be difficult to mistake a 2 week or three year old child for one of 7 months but perhaps there are good reasons why I should expand the search.

    Also, while on the subject of Toxteth Park Workhouse, does anyone know where I can find more information about this institution? I have some interesting stuff gleaned from workhouses.org but I'd love to be able to find out more.

  • #2
    can you put the names on here I am sure somebody can help ,I have babies born in workhouses with a Birth Reg

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    • #3
      Workhouse births and deaths tend to be MORE accurate than others in the general population as it was the workhouse master's responsibility to ensure all such events were registered. Also, the Registrar usually called at least once a week to record events.

      OC

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      • #4
        Have you looked to see if you can find a baptism for the baby? If the mother didn't marry, perhaps the child was looked after by her parents and took their surname. if the child was born in 1861, it wouldn't be unusual for her to have been in employment by the time of 1871 census ) the provision of elementary education places for all didn't come into effect until after the passing of the 1870 Education act. )

        Jay
        Janet in Yorkshire



        Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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        • #5
          Thanks to everyone; god, you people have so much information between you - I'm so glad I found this site! The census return for 1861 shows Ann Mack (my ancestor, born 1837) and 'her child, Ann, aged 7 months+'. Ann (senior) is my big brick wall at the moment. She appears to have been born in Co Mayo, Rep of Ireland (can't find any record of her birth or her coming to England) and I believe she was accompanied either together, or within a short space of time, by her father John Mack. I have so far been unable to find her mother or the rest of her family who may have remained in Ireland. Ann later went on to marry John Bates and have a clutch of children, one of whom was my grandfather's mother, Hannah Bates.

          Another quick question about her - she (Ann the mother) is listed on the cansus as a washerwoman. Does anyone know whether this would have been her occupation before entering the workhouse or if it would be the job she was assigned in there? I'm just discovering how every answer opens the dorr to a hundred new questions!

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          • #6
            In 1861, Ireland (all of it) came under British Rule. (The Republic of Ireland Act came into force in 1948, although the Irish Free State had been created in 1921.) People travelled freely between Ireland & Scotland/England/Wales and if there were passenger lists, they were not retained.
            Perhaps the little girl had been born in Ireland and was taken back there?
            Bear in mind that Workhouses were also infirmaries - mothers went there for their confinements, others went there for medical treatment. I suspect that "washerwoman" was Ann's occupation outside of the workhouse. I don't ever recall seeing a census return which listed assigned work whilst in the workhouse - the idea was to get you off the books asap, not to train you and keep you in employment! (Even the Master & Matron were billed for the upkeep of their children and had this sum deducted from their wages, so the workhouses were not altruistic.)
            I don't think there was civil registration of ALL births in Ireland until 1864, but you could look to see if you could find a baptism for baby Ann.

            Jay
            Janet in Yorkshire



            Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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            • #7
              I have traced a (female) relative whose illegitimate daughter was born in Toxteth Park Workhouse in Liverpool - both of them are listed in the 1861 census with the baby aged 7 months.
              Do you know that the daughter was born in the worhouse, or have you just made this assumption? As OC says above, workhouse births would be more likely to be registered than those taking place elsewhere. Ann and her daughter may well have entered the workhouse sometime after the birth if she was unable to look after a baby as well as herself.

              scuda
              Pitman / Pittman in North Glos (Didbrook, Prestbury, Longhope, Tewkesbury, Stow, Cirencester, etc), London & Australia

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              • #8
                Here's a birth registration worth considering in the apparent absence of any others:
                Mary Ann Mack
                Year: 1860
                Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
                Registration district: West Derby
                County: Lancashire
                Volume: 8b
                Page: 54

                Toxteth comes under West Derby.
                Last edited by keldon; 22-09-14, 16:27.
                Phil
                historyhouse.co.uk
                Essex - family and local history.

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                • #9
                  keklon/phil? - very many thanks for that one, will check it out later this evening.

                  scuda, the census return states that baby Ann was born in the workhouse but then I haven't discovered these to be very accurate as far as places of birth are concerned so it wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't so.

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                  • #10
                    the census return states that baby Ann was born in the workhouse
                    I don't believe it does - it says Toxteth Park. Surely that is the area, and does not imply it was a workhouse birth.

                    scuda
                    Pitman / Pittman in North Glos (Didbrook, Prestbury, Longhope, Tewkesbury, Stow, Cirencester, etc), London & Australia

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                    • #11
                      You're right, scuda - teach me to make assumptions! I guess I just saw that and made the kind of mental leap that is doubtless the downfall of family historians the world over. It's a good lesson to learn early on :o

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by keldon View Post
                        Here's a birth registration worth considering in the apparent absence of any others:
                        Mary Ann Mack
                        Year: 1860
                        Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
                        Registration district: West Derby
                        County: Lancashire
                        Volume: 8b
                        Page: 54

                        Toxteth comes under West Derby.

                        Thank you for this keklon. I went through all my notes and comments last night and I find this person is one I already have on my list of 'suspects'. Ancestry.co.uk also throws up another possibility which I think may be the same person as all details but the name are the same. There is no image included for the second suspect so I have no way of checking her any further at the moment. Their info from the Free BMD says Ann MA?, 3rd quarter 1860, Liverpool, vol 8b, no page number given.

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