My grandfather and six of his brothers all migrated from their small Wiltshire village to London, probably to find work, during the second half of the 19th century. I was going through the Westminster Poor Law records last night to see if I could discover the fates of the children of two of the brothers. I found that there were so many admissions and discharges for one of the family groups that I had to make a spreadsheet to keep track.
Brother Joseph's children Alice, Edith and Joseph entered the Ashford School for Paupers, Middlesex, for the first time in 1888 when they were 10, 8 and 3 respectively. Their father was in the Workhouse. Over the course of the next six years, when that register ended, Joseph had been in and out of the school 11 times. He had spent a total of twelve and a half months with his mother, the longest period being for 7 months and the shortest for 1 day.
I've only had a quick look so far at the 1894 to 1900 register but can see the pages dotted with Joseph's name again. In 1901, he was sent into service from the Ashford School to a grocer in Kingston on Thames. As yet, I've been unable to discover what happened to his parents.
In the meantime, in 1890, their cousin Phyllis, daughter of brother John, entered the school when she was 4 for 14 months. Her father was in the Workhouse and later transferred to Leavesden Asylum. I've not been able to discover what happened to Phyllis, nor to her older sister who was on the 1881 census with her parents.
I'm left wondering whether brothers Joseph and John would actually have been any worse off if they had stayed in Wiltshire.
Brother Joseph's children Alice, Edith and Joseph entered the Ashford School for Paupers, Middlesex, for the first time in 1888 when they were 10, 8 and 3 respectively. Their father was in the Workhouse. Over the course of the next six years, when that register ended, Joseph had been in and out of the school 11 times. He had spent a total of twelve and a half months with his mother, the longest period being for 7 months and the shortest for 1 day.
I've only had a quick look so far at the 1894 to 1900 register but can see the pages dotted with Joseph's name again. In 1901, he was sent into service from the Ashford School to a grocer in Kingston on Thames. As yet, I've been unable to discover what happened to his parents.
In the meantime, in 1890, their cousin Phyllis, daughter of brother John, entered the school when she was 4 for 14 months. Her father was in the Workhouse and later transferred to Leavesden Asylum. I've not been able to discover what happened to Phyllis, nor to her older sister who was on the 1881 census with her parents.
I'm left wondering whether brothers Joseph and John would actually have been any worse off if they had stayed in Wiltshire.
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