St John's Retreat, North Street, Barking, Essex.

[Racinehunter]

A recent thread asked for information re-the above.  A member of our family was there in the 1911 Census having just lost her third husband in twelve years! Two gas workers lost to accidents and the third to a drowning accident in Barking Creek left her with five boys to bring up in a pre-welfare society where the Work House was waiting.
St John's must have been a step away from the latter giving respite whilst people sorted out their lives.  It certainly provided that for our relative who found another husband with whom she shared the rest of her life, finally having a daughter in compensation for her otherwise all male household.
It seems strange to us now that marriage was often the only way out of penury before the Welfare State arrived but even a cursory research into family life will often reveal its importance as a means to avoid the dreaded walls of the Work House where family units were dispersed into adult and childrens' single sex groups, perhaps only being re-united at a Sunday Church Service.
I would be grateful to anyone having further information on this matter.

[jorose]

It seems this may have have actually been a small street (or court?) off North-street in Barking, in an area apparently cleared in the 1930s, not a hostel or similar.  While an unusual street suffix, there are some around even today (there's a Victoria Retreat in Cheltenham, for example).

Found some snippets in http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

St. Johns-terrace. North-street. Barking, and 13 well-built houses in the rear, known a. 1 to 13. St. John's Retreat. North-street. Barking. Essex

.

From other snippets it seems the residents were dock labourers/stevedores, a woman mentioned as a servant, etc.  It is likely that each "house" packed in several different families to make the rent more affordable.

She may have had some charitable support to begin with, given the nature of her husband's death - sometimes at the end of an inquest report you'll see a reference to "a collection for the widow".   Of course, that only would have gone so far.  Otherwise with family support and some work of her own she may have been able to struggle along for a bit - but certainly remarriages were usually out of hard cold necessity on both sides - widowers with children also had the issue of finding someone to look after the kids while they worked.

[Racinehunter]

Thanks for the information.  She is recorded as living at No 11 which would seem to fit in with the 13 houses described in the Newspaper report.
The problem with the 1911 Census is that the returns are individual and so you can't easily see who was living next door and what their family status was. Trying to find her on the Census Returns Books is no help as she doesn't appear to be listed.  I must try again!
Obviously she would have had help from other members of her extensive family as wel as from her eldest son who, by that time, was 16.  Described as a 'Field Worker' she must also have had help to look after her youngest son, my wife's father, as he was only ten months old at the time of the Census.
Thanks again.

[Samantha Mason]

Not sure if this is helpful at all as it seems this is an old thread. My Nanas grandparents lived here too, at number 9 St Johns Retreat, North st.
Her grandfather was a seaman. They had 11 children, and it seems all the boys went to war.
I thought it was an interesting address, so I googled it and found this thread.

[Racinehunter]

Hi Samantha, thanks for your reply, its good to know that there are others who survived  difficult times.  The history of this time  is particularly interesting in that  there was no State safety net when  peoples lives were hit with problems and my wife's Grandmother had three such instances before finding stability.   It is a pity that  the 1911 Census is  recorded with individual households  which prevents the  linking of family groups, proximity of 'in laws' etc.
Good Hunting.