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Topic: The Abbey, Parish of St. Nicholas, Abingdon (Read 489 times)
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gilly3
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 21
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I'm hoping someone out there knows the town of Abingdon and will find this question easy to answer. There is someone in my husband's family tree who was living in 1891 in The Abbey, Parish of St. Nicholas, Abingdon. I know she wasn't a nun (!) so wondered if these were almshouses - she was an 81-year-old widow in 1891 so seems a likely candidate if they were almshouses. Any info on that address would be welcome. I've tried googling and, whilst there is reams of stuff on the abbey/church, I've failed to find anything about why "The Abbey" would be the address of ordinary folk.
Many thanks,
Gill
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Pope, Britton, Ireland, Turpitt, Shaddick, Mogridge, Corney, Pratt, Haddock.
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Sloe Gin
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 372
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I don't think so, I think this is just the name of a street as there are numerous diverse households with the same address.
Would have to look at an old map to be sure, but my guess is that it's roughly equivalent to the road called Abbey Close today. This area has been redeveloped (council offices, car parks, Waitrose etc), but runs behind, and roughly parallel to, Stert Street.
There are almshouses in Abingdon, but these are in the parish of St Helen. The Abbey itself of course has not existed since Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.
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Sloe Gin
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 372
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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No map, sadly, unless I've missed it.
I found one on the Francis Frith site, but annoyingly when you click to enlarge it the wrong map comes up.
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gilly3
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 21
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Many thanks to Sloe Gin and Little Nell. I've looked at an aerial view of Abingdon and agree that Abbey Close is a likely location. I did Google it but couldn't find anything about the use of the buildings at the end of the 1800s. However, with lots of other families listed in "The Abbey" it is pretty clear that it was just another street in the town, probably quite poor. One of these days I'll visit - the websites make Abingdon look very inviting, I must say.
Again, thanks for your interest and help.
Gill
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Pope, Britton, Ireland, Turpitt, Shaddick, Mogridge, Corney, Pratt, Haddock.
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dulonmike
RootsChat Pioneer
Posts: 1
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Gill
Not sure about this, I too have relations living here in 1841 and beyond. I don't think it is "just a street" It could be some kind of workhouse but I don't think so given the occupations of the inhabitants. I will keep digging and let you know if I come up with anything.
Mike
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gilly3
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 21
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Thanks, Mike. I would be very interested in anything you can turn up. In the meantime, I'll have another dig around - you've revived my interest in this little conundrum!
Best of luck,
Gill
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Pope, Britton, Ireland, Turpitt, Shaddick, Mogridge, Corney, Pratt, Haddock.
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Sloe Gin
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 372
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I think it simply refers to the dwellings around the site of the old Abbey, and is a convenient description rather than a specific address. They are clearly separate households and dwellings, not an institution of any kind.
The description of the enumeration district for 1891 includes: ".... along Stert Street to St Nicholas Church taking the whole of the Abbey to the Old Grammar School then to the Crown & Thistle ...."
The Abbey as an institution had not existed for several hundred years at that time, and there would have been, as now, only the remains of some of its buildings.
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