Family History Help - WORKHOUSES!

[libei87]

Hi

I wondered if someone could help me! I'm tracing my family history and have discovered that my 3rd and 4th great Grandfather may have spent some time in a workhouse.

4th great Grandfather: Burdess Gray (b. about 1810, Scotland)
3rd great Grandfather: Burdis Gray (b. about 1843, Stockton, Durham)

My query is whether they were in the same workhouse. I've found two 1851 censuses that mention their names (more details below) along with Burdis's siblings. Were they split up and sent to different workhouses? With Burdess, the census says he was living at a workhouse in Bishop Street in Stockton (with his daughters Ann, Margaret and son, Henry). His other son, however, Burdis (with his brothers William and John) were lodged at "Moor" but I don't know what this means or where this was in Hartlepool.

I'd like to find out where they were all staying so that I could go visit the site and local archives to find out more about it. If anyone could advise me or knows where they were, I'd be really grateful!

Thanks
Liz

Census details:

1) 1851 Census - Burdess Gray (b. 1810)
Civil Parish: Stockton on Tees
Town: Stockton
County/Island: Durham
Country: England
Registration district: Stockton
Sub-registration district: Yarm
ED, institution, or vessel:   2m
Household schedule number: 36
Piece: 2383
Folio:   748
Page Number: 8

2) 1851 Census - Burdis Gray (b. 1843)
Civil Parish: Hartlepool
County/Island: Durham
Country: England
Registration district: Stockton
Sub-registration district: Hartlepool
ED, institution, or vessel: 10h
Household schedule number: 1
Piece: 2384
Folio:   466
Page Number: 2

[stanmapstone]

Welcome to RootsChat
THis is the site for Workhouses http://www.workhouses.org.uk/

Stan

[libei87]

Thanks!

I have been on that website before and found a diagram of the workhouse that Burdess Gray (b.1810) was staying (on Bishop Street in Stockton with his daughters Ann, Margaret and son, Henry) but I can't find where his son, Burdis (b.1843) was staying with his brothers William and John.

[stanmapstone]

but I can't find where his son, Burdis (b.1843) was staying with his brothers William and John.

It was in the Friarage, near the Hartlepool Town Moor, see the 1862 Town Plan at  http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html?coords=452964,533829  which was used as a Workhouse for the Hartlepool district of the Stockton Union.

Stan

[libei87]

Thanks for that! It makes sense that it says "Moor" on the census because it must have been located on Moor Terrace. Also, the street that joins Moor Terrace is Victoria Place which is mentioned after "Moor" in the census.

Do you think that they were sent to the friary because of lack of space in Stockton? I just wondered why Burdis wasn't housed with his father, Burdess.

I hope you don't mind all the questions.

Many thanks

[stanmapstone]

It would be up to the  Stockton-on-Tees Poor Law Union where people were sent, the Friarage was used as a town workhouse, it was also used as a vagrant ward. Don't forget the census only shows where people were at midnight on the night of the census, and does not necessarily mean they were permanent residents. Hartlepool became a separate Poor Law Union on 25th March 1859. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Hartlepool/
You can see what remains of the building on Google Street View http://is.gd/uXymTv
Stan