Old Work House, Etchingham, Ticehurst, Sussex, England 1871

[Westy11]

In the 1871 Census Thomas Bovis is 90 years of age and a boarder at Old Work House, Etchingham, Ticehurst, Sussex, England.

Do you think the "Old Work House" is a private residence or a work house? 

Thomas is 90 years of age and its hard to think he would still be employed as an agricultural labourer?

Westy

[keyboard86]

Hi Thomas is a boarder with George Cheemer and family both are Ag Labs
Keyboard86

[miriamkinga]

Looking at the image it looks like lots of different families. Most of them are working & have occupations, none say inmate.

[Westy11]

Thanks keyboard86 & miriamkinga.  The key word as you point our is 'inmate' if it was an actual work house.

Thanks so much.

Westy

[lizdb]

Looks like the "new" workhouse was built in Ticehurst in 1835 to cover Etchingham (amongst other places). MAybe the building where Thomas etc were living acted as the Workhouse for Etchingham prior to 1835, and the building therefore got its name.

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

[Westy11]

Sounds highly likely lizdb; the title is almost self explanatory and I should have realised to be in a poor house meant ones occupation was inmate. 

Thanks heaps

Westy

[Westy11]

As a matter of interest I have located 2 transcripts for the marriage of James Bovis & Sarah Longley.  One is for St. James, Westminster, London, England [England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973; FHL Film Number: 1067298; Reference ID: 2:3BN2KXT] and the other for Salehurst, Sussex, England [FHL Film Number: 1067298; England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973]

Any ideas why this is the case

Westy

[Ruskie]

I'm sure I've seen people in workhouses with an occupation listed.

If you look at page 1 of the census you will see a description of the enumerator's walk - this might help regarding pin pointing the location of your ancestor's "work house" to determine if it is the "new" workhouse as linked to by Liz. Further detective work and looking at old maps might help discover if he was living in the abandoned "old" workhouse.

A workhouse will often have a supervisor and other staff listed before the "inmates" so check though pages before your ancestor in the census to see if that is the case here. If I remember correctly I've also seen "institutions" which seem to be enumerated on their own ie with no other neighbours in the enumeration district.

Generally you should be able to get a sense of what sort of place your ancestor was living in by looking at the neighbours.  If your Thomas was 90 his work options must have been limited even in 1871.

[Ruskie]

I just had a look at Thomas in the 1871 census - is George Cheesmer a relative?

I see that my comments about workhouses in the census are irrelevant in this instance. 

I think if you look for some of the places mentioned in the enumeration district then it may help you find the location. I found a couple of places on an old map (computer playing up at the moment so I will try again later) - I note the next address after the work house is Burg Hill, and the National School comes after that, so that's maybe something to be going on with till I get back to this later ....