Highgate Hill

[mamor]

Hi,

I have a William Rolls on my tree - he was the reputed father of my 5x Great Grandmother who was born in St Mary's Workhouse, Islington.

In 1833 he is shown as living at Goswell Street, working for Mr Reeds.

In 1835, he is shown as living at Highgate Hill in Bartholomew Hospital.

Does anyone know anything about the above two places?  He didn't pay maintenance for his daughter and I wondered if it was because he was a pauper or ill.

The info on the Workhouse website refers to later dates than the ones I am looking for:-

Highgate Hill Infirmary
In the 1890s, Islington Union developed a workhouse infirmary at a site on Highgate Hill, already occupied by the Highgate Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital. This hospital had been erected in 1848-50 as a replacement for an earlier smallpox hospital near Battle Bridge in St Pancras which was demolished as part of the King's Cross station development by the Great Northern Railway.

Also, does anyone know of a workhouse museum anywhere in London that I could visit? 

...And one more question - I am unable to trace the illegitimate daughter between her baptism record in 1833 and her possibly living in Reading in 1846.  I have tried all the Poor Law records on Ancestry - any ideas on how I could find out how she ended up in Reading would be appreciated (no trace of her on 1841 census).  BTW her name was Rosanna Drew.

Many thanks

Monique :-)

[jennifer c]

I take it you are looking at the trial records for 1846. Also from the baptism Rose Ann was a twin, brother William born same Date baptised same time.

Jennifer

[stevew101]

You have probably already seen this, but some interesting information about St Mary's workhouse.

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

Steve

[mamor]

Not sure what the trial papers are Jennifer, or where I'd find them, I looked at the Criminal records on Ancestry and then in the Newspaper archives to find the story about Roseanna in 1846.  Yes, she had a twin brother who sadly died as an infant, also a brother born two years later in 1835 who also died very young.  Her mother Martha seemed to spend pretty much her whole life in Workhouses and had already had another illegitimate daughter many years before Roseanna - I find it amazing that Martha and Rosanna both lived to be 100 given what an awful start they had in life - especially Martha as she never escaped. 

Thanks Steve - I had already seen that - I found it very interesting - also quite bleak reading.

[jennifer c]

Sorry if I mislead you, I meant the records on An......

Jennifer