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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Helina on Saturday 25 November 17 13:59 GMT (UK)
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I will not give their real names in case any relatives read this.
A family I'm researching I'll call them Williams,
John Williams married Harriet in 1872, they have 6 children,2 girls and 4 boys, 1 girl dies age 1 and the youngest child(a boy) dies age 2. In 1878 Harriett dies, as you gather she bore a child each year the first 2 the same year.
In 1878 the year his wife died John is accused and stands trial for leaving his children alone and sent to prison. In 1881 3 of the children are in a workhouse, the oldest boy is living with a Uncle. By 1886 John has the children back and they move to Wales where he remarries in 1886 and have several more children.
Did they not look into why John was leaving the children alone, due to work? he could not cope with 5 children the youngest boy who died died in 1880, was there no one to help, or was he just a bad father. The children had just lost their mother and then as far as they were concerned their father and put into a uncaring instruction, the oldest was 10 the youngest only one year old.
Just thought I needed to unload this sad story.
helina
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Sad & all too common with no safety net except the workhouse.
He may have been reported by the truancy officer as the older ones should have been at school. No doubt the oldest was left in charge of the others.
He would have to have worked he had no choice.
It looks like he's tried to keep the family together & hoping no would notice.
He doesn't look to me to be a bad father as he had them back as soon as he could.
So credit where credit's due I think.
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This remnds me of an episode of " Coming Home " a BBC Wales ancestry programme, like WDYTYA but with Welsh ancestors.
There was one story very similar to this, but I can`t remember who the person was.