Taylor/Hennessey marriage - 28th August 1897 at St Anne's Parish Church, Belfast

[MoglieUK]

Well I've found the family Harry & Sarah Taylor (nee Hennessy) in London and I'm really upset... they were admitted into the Woolwich Workhouse on 24th January 1912 (destitute & ill) both parents and children Victor (my grandfather) aged 10 and two infant sisters (Jesse & Eileen)... I'm not going to tell my dad ! 

[aghadowey]

If both parents were ill, had little or no money and no relatives nearby then going into the workhouse was probably their only option at the time. Have you found death certificates for the parents yet? Your grandfather obviously survived but what about his 2 sisters?

It's up to you to decide what you'll tell to your father but we often come across sad things when digging into our families.

[MoglieUK]

Indeed, its tough to think of my grandfather as a little boy in a workhouse, but I guess those were the realities of the country at that time.  I can not find Harry & Sarah anywhere on the 1901 census (either in Ireland or England) and after the workhouse documents for 1912, I can't find either of them nor the two little girls (Jessie(Jesse) or Eileen) after 1912.  Can you suggest you anything?

[aghadowey]

Really, really difficult with such a common surname as Taylor 

Have you tried to see about getting details on the family from Workhouse records? others will know far more about English workhouse records than I do but this site might be of interest- link to records at bottom of page-
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Woolwich/

[MoglieUK]

Exactly - nearly as bad as Smith!  Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.