William Gray Hacking - what happened to his parents?

[ChrissieL]

My G G Grandfather,  William Gray Hacking (also known as William Hacking Gray) was born in October 1835 in Accrington to Alice Hacking.
Alice Hacking and John Gray married on 14 November 1836 at St James, Accrington
Ellen Gray was born in January 1838 (mmn Hacking on GRO search)
So far, so good!
On 1841 census, William Hacking aged 5 is living in Union Street, Accrington in what looks like a lodging house.   HO107; Piece: 506; Book: 6;
In 1851, he’s still in a lodging house run by the same woman but a different address  HO107; Piece: 2250; Folio: 542; Page: 5
I would like to know why would such a young boy be in a lodging house without his family?
I can’t find the rest of the family on any census, so what happened to them?

I have plenty of information about William Hacking Gray's life but not his parents.

Thanks for helping
Chris

[Kay99]

Could sister Ellen have died?   From GRO death index
Ellen Grey   age 1 
1839  Sept  Quarter in HASLINGDEN UNION  Vol 21  Page 261


Kay

[PrawnCocktail]

I checked the GRO site, and found an Alice Gray aged 22 who died in the Haslingden district in the March Q 1840. Haslingden was the same district that Ellen was born in.

There was also an Ellen Gray died Sep Q 1839 aged 1

Would this help to explain why you can't find them on a Census?

[PrawnCocktail]

The 1841 Census entry is very odd - there seem to four unrelated children in that house, plus two elderly men, and a woman with another child, plus one or two others.

It's not very long after the Poor Law Act of 1837. According to http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Haslingden/ , the local Guardians weren't very quick off the mark. Is this "lodging house" actually the old workhouse in Accrington from before the Act?

[BashLad]

There was a workhouse on union st. Part of it later became an army barracks.

I didn't relise it was still there as late as the 1840/50s though.

(source: I'm from Accrington).

[PrawnCocktail]

Just found a very interesting book on Google Books entitled "Accrington Through The 19th Century" by Richard Shaw Crossley. On p203, it stated that the old workhouse on Union Street was closed in 1846!

[ChrissieL]

Thankyou so much - yes it now looks as if Alice and Ellen had both died before the 1841 census. 
It's a good thought about the 1841 address in Union Street being the work house.  I will follow that one up.
I wonder what happened to John Gray, the father.  Its such a common name and I don't know where or when he was born, he's hard to find.
Chris

[ChrissieL]

Just found a very interesting book on Google Books entitled "Accrington Through The 19th Century" by Richard Shaw Crossley. On p203, it stated that the old workhouse on Union Street was closed in 1846!

Ooh that's interesting, thankyou so much.  I'll check that out on Google Books
Chris

[garstonite]

did they have a son John born 1839 - and died 2 months later ? - note the Abode of Burnley - did John move from Accrington but go back to his church for the burial of his son ?

Burial: 19 Mar 1839 St James, Accrington, Lancashire, England
 John Gray - Son of John Gray
     Died: 16 Mar 1839
     Age: 2 Months
     Abode: Burnley
     Cause of Death: Convulsions