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Ancestors from the Workhouse?

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  • Ancestors from the Workhouse?

    Many of us have found on various censuses that our ancestors were to be found enjoying the 'hospitality' of the local workhouse. It's a natural question to ask, 'where can I find workhouse records?'. In London particularly, there isn't really a great deal of info to be found, particularly online.
    An oblique way of tackling this issue is to consult the records of the nearest church. Many workhouses, ( St George in the East for example ) were to be found on the same site. The parish registers are thus chock a block with references to those baptised whilst at the workhouse.
    For example:

    Between 1729 and 1848 there are 434 children baptised at St George in the East with the address given as 'Workhouse'. ( And to put this into a proper perspective, that's out of 75,089 baptisms)

    If you know where your ancestor came from, it can be very worthwhile to look at old maps, locate the workhouse, and then the nearest church
    J

  • #2
    I don't suppose anyone happens to know the nearest church to the West Ham Union workhouse do they please?
    Chrissie passed away in January 2020.

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    • #3
      Hi Chrissie

      Don't know if this is any help but I do know that they had there own chapel form about 1840.

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      • #4
        Many workhouses had their own chapels - Anglican of course. If you google the relevant workhouse name you can probably find out if they had one, or if not, get the address and find out where the nearest places of worship (including non-conformist) are.
        ~ with love from Little Nell~
        Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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        • #5
          It has been my experience that baptisms carried out in the Workhouse chapel, are recorded in the ordinary PRs, not separately.

          They aren't always marked as workhouse baptisms but when you see a page and a half of baptisms to single women you get a clue!

          OC

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Chrissie Smiff View Post
            I don't suppose anyone happens to know the nearest church to the West Ham Union workhouse do they please?
            Hi Chrissie

            A few of my rellies died in the West Ham Union Workhouse. In particular I was looking to see where my 4xg-granddad was buried (I later found him in West Ham Cemetery, Forest Gate)

            A few years ago I emailed Vestry House to see if they had any info on where burials would have taken place when someone died in the workhouse.

            This is a copy and paste of their email to me -

            Our deposited registers of the West Ham Union Workhouse relate to women and children only.

            I do not know if there was a designated cemetery for the Workhouse, but the nearest cemetery was the West Ham Cemetery, where registers are retained on site (tel: 020 8534 1566).

            Two of the nearest Anglican churchyards are those of Leyton, St. Mary and Leytonstone , St. John, although Union Road (now Langthorne Road) was actually in the parish of Leytostone, Holy Trinity, which has no churchyard. These parish burial registers are held here; please contact me if you would like to make an appointment to visit our Searchroom.

            Yours sincerely,
            Jo Parker

            Jo Parker (Archivist)
            Waltham Forest Archives
            Vestry House Museum
            Vestry Road
            Walthamstow
            London E17 9NH

            Tel: 020 8509 1917


            hope this helps
            Sandra

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            • #7
              Thank you so much everyone. I'm sorry, I forgot I had posted this :o

              I have copied all that information Sandra - very useful thank you.
              Chrissie passed away in January 2020.

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