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Workhouse birth guidance please

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  • Workhouse birth guidance please

    Hi all

    Two questions in one really

    I have a birth certificate for Annie Pollard born 14th December 1870 at the Union Workhouse, Worksop. no father's name given but the mother was Emma Pollard Domestic Servant. Her address is also given as the Union Workhouse. I've looked for an Emma Pollard in the area in the 1871 census and there is one born in Blyth Nottinghamshire 1849 working as a Cook with the Allen Family. Is this Emma likely to be the mother who is giving birth in the Workhouse in December? I don't think it can be proven either way but I'm open to advice. ( I think Emma marries in the Sheffield area in 1872)

    On another note, I have found Annie Pollard in 1881 as a Nurse Child with Ellen and Michael Nolan. There is another Nurse child in the family by the name of William Quibell Manuel. By 1891 Annie is married to Samuel Nelson and William Quibell is a member of the household. Ellen is also with them, now described as Mother-in-Law. Does that suggest some sort of fostering or adoption arrangement from the Workhouse?

    Thanks in advance
    Barbara

  • #2
    Most working class married women went back home to Mum for their first confinement; quite common for unmarried girls to go to the workhouse instead, where there were "hospital" facilities. After the birth, mother & baby often left the workhouse, child put out to be minded, mother usually sought employment to pay for the upkeep of her child. Sometimes the carer was a family member or friend of the mother's parents and in census the child was recorded as "nurse child." I think such "fostering" would have been a private arrangement, rather than one officially arranged by the workhouse.
    Illegitimate children often stayed with the carer after the marriage of their mother - I expect a strong bond had been formed and also Mum was a bit of a stranger. This is why many illegitimate children grew up with a grandparent, often recorded as son or daughter.
    Mu great-aunt Alice was brought up as a "nurse child" by her widowed, childless aunt Esther. The bond remained close and when gt-aunt in turn had an illegitimate child D, she also was brought up by Esther, rather than mother's mother. After her marriage, great-aunt Alice, D and the children of the marriage went to spend a summer holiday every year with the great-aunt, who seems to have been a substitute for great-aunt's mother. Gt-aunt Alice's father had died a few weeks after Alice's birth, so Alice and her elder brother lived with gt-aunt Esther whilst their mother went out skivvying to earn enough to keep them all.

    Have you delved a bit further to see if you can find any connection between the children and the couple raising them?
    Can you find baptisms for either child? - sometimes there are additional clues in the baptism register or on the marriage certificate when the child marries.

    Jay
    Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 16-07-17, 16:47.
    Janet in Yorkshire



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

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    • #3
      Thanks Janet

      That is interesting regarding the private arrangement with the foster family.
      I haven't - as yet - found any connection between the children and the couple raising them. I will have a better look around folllowing on from your suggestions
      Barbara

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      • #4
        Baptism for Annie Pollard from FMP

        Annie Lizzie Pollard bap29 May 1872 at St Mary (Priory) Worksop.

        Mother Emma Pollard.

        There is no image only the transcript.
        Lin

        Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

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        • #5
          Also on FMP

          Marriage Annie Elizabeth Pollard to Samuel Nelson

          6 Jul 1890 at St Mary (Priory) Worksop.

          Just so you have the exact date.
          Lin

          Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

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          • #6
            I came up with the same conclusion as you re 1871 Census but 1861 the same Emma is living with parents Henry and Elizabeth Pollard in Blythe.
            Lin

            Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

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            • #7
              Thanks Lin


              I had seen that the same Emma was with her parents in Blyth in 1861, just wasn't sufficiently "confident" to run with it. It is reassuring that you came to the same conclusion as I had

              This is my daughter-in-laws tree so I want to get it as "right" as possible
              Barbara

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              • #8
                If the mother's address in the informant column is given as the workhouse that would suggest she is an inmate/living there, rather than someone who has just come to use the medical facilities for the birth. If if she had another "usual address" it would normally be shown. You should check what admission, discharge and other records survive for the workhouse.
                Last edited by AntonyM; 17-07-17, 08:35.
                Retired professional researcher, and ex- deputy registrar, now based in Worcestershire. Happy to give any help or advice I can ( especially on matters of civil registration) - contact via PM or my website www.chalfontresearch.co.uk
                Follow me on Twittter @ChalfontR

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                • #9
                  Have you found Emma's death. If so that might give you her date of birth and will narrow it down a bit.

                  Or even her marriage cert would give her fathers name. If you don't want to buy a cert there might be parish records in the Worksop library. Nottinghamshire libraries are very good for this.

                  Also if Emmas parents still lived in Blythe they might not have known she was pregnant!!

                  Something will crop up that puts it all together or proves its the wrong family but needs searching for.
                  Lin

                  Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

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                  • #10
                    Thanks both. Will look in to those suggestion s later
                    Barbara

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