Author Topic: Two addresses for his mother.  (Read 4539 times)

Offline Jaxyfone

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 64
  • Leicester born and bred, and proud of it!
    • View Profile
Two addresses for his mother.
« on: Thursday 07 August 14 21:36 BST (UK) »
Have just received my late father in law's birth certificate. We knew he was born illegitimate in 1923 and had always believed he spent the first three years of his life in the London Orphan Asylum. However, it seems he was born at 60 Vicarage Road which, it transpires, was the Watford Union Workhouse. One mystery solved - it appears someone, somewhere along the way, had the name of the institution all wrong.

But in the 'name and maiden surname of mother' box, whilst there is no father named and his mother is listed as expected, it goes on to say she was 'a printing factory hand of 22 Birchfield Terrace, Watford' in the same box as her name. Would this be the address of her employer or a former residence address? And why would it be in this box?
Smith (Kettering/Northants); Hill; Mackness; Chapman
Giddings; Pridmore; Salsbury.

Offline CaroleW

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 71,098
  • Barney 1993-2004
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 07 August 14 22:24 BST (UK) »
By the time she registered the birth - that may well have been her address

Is all the info in box 5 or is it split between box 5 and box 7
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline Jaxyfone

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 64
  • Leicester born and bred, and proud of it!
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 07 August 14 22:38 BST (UK) »
All the information is in box 5 and the birth was registered 13 days after the event

Is it likely she would have found employment so soon after giving birth to an illegitimate child in a workhouse?
Smith (Kettering/Northants); Hill; Mackness; Chapman
Giddings; Pridmore; Salsbury.

Offline CaroleW

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 71,098
  • Barney 1993-2004
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 07 August 14 23:23 BST (UK) »
No maternity leave back in those days. Unless somebody else was supporting her - she would have had to work 
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)


Offline Maddie

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,398
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 07 August 14 23:40 BST (UK) »
Hi

You may already be aware of this but if not, the London Orphan Asylum was in Watford after being moved from Clapton in 1872.
http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/places/places-w/watford/watford-london-orphan-asylum.htm

Hope this helps.
Maddie
Beament, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Canada, USA.
Brown, Herts & Berkshire
Hester, Oxfordshire
Wise, Berkshire
Dwight, Buckinghamshire
Warrell/Worrel, Bucks & Herts
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline andycand

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,384
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 07 August 14 23:51 BST (UK) »
Hi

One possibility is that your father-in-law was born in the Workhouse Infirmary which provided medical care for those that couldn't afford it back then. His mother may not have been an inmate of the workhouse but simply have gone in to give birth. If his mother, after leaving the Infirmary, was unable to look after your father-in-law she may have left him at the London Orphan Asylum.

Andy

Offline groom

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 21,144
  • Me aged 3. Tidied up thanks to Wiggy.
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #6 on: Friday 08 August 14 00:01 BST (UK) »
Quote
she was 'a printing factory hand of 22 Birchfield Terrace, Watford'

Couldn't that simply be her occupation and her usual address? Not necessarily where where she worked.
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Ruskie

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 26,196
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #7 on: Friday 08 August 14 00:05 BST (UK) »
She was possibly previously employed as a printing hand, and she lived at Birchfield Terrace.

It would be worth checking this to see what kind of house it was if it still stands. Was this the home of her parents, other family or lodgings do you know?

She probably went into the infirmary to give birth as Andy suggests. Most babies would have been born at home in that era but the circumstances may not have been suitable for that to happen, or perhaps she needed medical treatment.

Keep in mind that this was pre NHS. As an unmarried mother she probably had no choice.

She then returned to work as a printing hand.  :-\

Just a possible scenario ....  :-\

Added: red notification - I see groom is thinking along the same lines as me.

Offline KGarrad

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 26,063
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Two addresses for his mother.
« Reply #8 on: Friday 08 August 14 00:23 BST (UK) »
As with most workhouses, Watford Union Workhouse had an attached infirmiary.
That was where people went to get medical treatment if they couldn't afford doctors, or midwives, fees.

So I would suggest that she had the child in the infirmiary, and was discharged then went home?


EDIT: Sorry!
Just in from the pub and I failed to read the whole thread! :-[ ;D ::)
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)