Forden House of Industry

[bombardier]

To Ruthi B. Your gt grandparent was in the House of industry at the same time as mine. Mine died whlst he was in there and so did his 22 month old daughter. Cant be much life there.Your grandparent was very lucky to survive to 82. I think your last line should have been There is a God after all and he smiled on your Ancestor. Have you read any of the texts about the starvation diet and the discipline in there .Not a place to be I think. Regards Bombardier.

[bombardier]

Well, it's in current day use but it doesn't look as though there's been any recent maintenance on the fabric of the building so it looks scruffy and unloved.

It utterly silent when I was there - no sound except that of a buzzard mewling overhead - quite eery.

I was trying to envisage the place as a hive of forced activity all those years ago. It wasn't one of the larger workhouses but was apparently buzzing with industry in its heyday. It also had a cruel regime in the first 1/2 of the 19th century; a flogging stake was erected in the dining room for miscreants to be flogged in public before sunday meal, and a scold's bridle was bought.

My poor ancestor died there in the 1840s, of "asthma". If he couldn't breathe, how could he labour?

Peaceful meditative chanting in such a place just wouldn't do it for me, I'm afraid.

[Lesanne]

 Just returned from a visit to this area, found the H of Ind, hoping to find something on Gt Gt Granny Williams. More to see the area she lived. Born abt 1832 Berriew.

Still none the wiser.. but very interesting trip.
There is a large burial ground to the left of the building.. 600-700 burials I think was said. No markers at all tho.
Has anyone found the census records ?

Lesanne.

[skewbald]

The 1881 census is on this site Lesanne.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Forden/



Skewy

[Lesanne]

Thank you Skewy. 

I think the main time period for ours is 1851-abt 1859.

thanks Lesanne