union workhouse, st margarets. leicestershire

[jtas]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the workhouse records have survived for the years 1850-1865. Today I received my gt gt grandmother`s birth certificate and it says that she was born in the work house and there is no father`s name. In 1871 her mother has married and living in chipping barnet, she has her baptized and says that Emma`s father was Henry Sparks and she was born in Laude Lodge near Oakham in Rutlandshire. Then when Emma gets married she puts her name as Emma Meadows Sparks. I am hoping that the work house records will give a clue as to whom her father really was, as I cant find a Henry Sparks from Rutlandshire/Leicestershire.

Is there anyone who is related to Emma Sparks that has further information or even photographs of her and her mother Elizabeth Sparks. I think she herself was in the same work house at 10 years old.

I look forward to hearing from you all soon,

Regards,

Jackie.

[chempat]

Have you looked in Surname Interests (under Your Tools, below) to see if others are researching Sparks from Leicestershire?

[rosie99]

This web page gives information on the records available for Leicester workhouse
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Leicester/

[Annie65115]

I have a copy of the CD of the workhouse records and (although I haven't got it infront of me at this moment) I know absolutely that it does NOT give the name of the father for any workhouse births. Sorry.

Edited to add - I've dug out the disc - it gives details of admissions from 1879.

I'm not clear about who was called what on your first post - what was Emma's registered name at birth? And when was she born?

The birth cert stating that she was born in the workhouse is more likely to be true than a statement on the censuses some while later.

Henry Sparks may be a made up name to avoid the embarrassment of illegitimacy.

[swampinstein]

If someone died at the Union Workhouse does anyone know where they were buried?

[jtas]

hi,

Thank you for your help. Emma was born in the workhouse in October 1857 and then by 1871 her mother Elizabeth had moved to Hertfordshire and married James Gray. She had Emma baptized in 1871and that's where she has put the father as Henry Sparks.

On your workhouse disc does it give any in depth information about why the persons had entered the workhouse.

regards,

Jackie

[Annie65115]

There are sometimes comments about someone's "condition" on entering the House -- destitute, pregnant, deserted ---- but no more detail than that, and not for the time period you're looking for.

Swampinstein - I think burials took place at Welford Rd unless family arranged otherwise, but I'm not sure (and it depends on the era as well of course). If you have a query about someone in particular, put their details up and someone will take a look.

[Jomot]

Not sure if this is in any way connected, but with regards to the middle name of Meadows, on 8 Mar 1871 a Julia Meadows married James King at St Margaret's Leicester, both Frame Work Knitters.  Julia claimed to be a 41 year old widow and that her father was Isaac Sparkes, a colonel in the army.

On 18 Apr 1853 at Old Church, Saint Pancras, London, Julia Sparks married William Meadows, a soldier.  Julia again named her father as Isaac but stated that he was dead. Both were of George Street and of full age.

According to the 1871 census Elizabeth Sparks/Gray was born c 1838, so I wonder if there was any connection to Julia Sparks/Meadows ?  Did Elizabeth name her father on her marriage certificate?

Added: An Isaac Sparkes died Dec quarter 1846, Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Could this be him?

[swampinstein]

I've put it on a new thread, don't want to hijack this one..