Can't find my Adams family?

[Bearcub]

Yes - I noticed that too.. (in the "who performed the ceremony" column?). That bothers me a bit, but I have quite a few other baptisms which give a date of birth that aren't quite right too, so wasn't overly worried. All of the other details seem consistent - and I guess its possible that I have the 6th December date wrong too. Just hoping the Mile End cert is the right one now....

Thanks

[dawnsh]

There is a possible death Dec 1/4 1887 of John Adams aged 51 in Pancras district.

There's a corresponding 'parish' burial 11th October at St Pancras Cemetery of John Adams, aged 51, who died at Highgate Infirmary, Pancras.

Ties up with the family having little or no money but no occupation is shown.

However, according to the Pancras Board of Guardians children at Leavesden records 2 supposed sons, Thomas & Alfred Adams or Simmonds, mother Emma so you may be able to rule that death out.

Moving on to Sarah and Jane though, they are on the same register. It isn't transcribed so a case of scrolling through on Ancestry


London, England, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records, 1430-1930
select Camden
select St Pancras
select Register of Children
Leavesden School: register of children received from the Guardianīs office, 1880-1894
page 9 of 325

Sarah born 1880 was admitthed 4 April 1889, having been sent to Rottingdean Workhouse 6 Apr 1888, discharged 26 Aug 1892 back to her mother, Sarah Adams a widow.

Jane born 1879 was admitted 14 Jan 1892 from Rottingdean. She was also discarged to her mother 26 Aug 1892.

Several crossed out addresses leaving 33 Drummond ?

The Boards of Guardians were very good at charging other Boards for people that weren't of their parish so I wonder how Rottingdean fits in? Whether the mother was from there or did the Board of Guardians have an understanding for the children to be sent there?

[Bearcub]

Thank you so much. I'm a little overwhelmed that you've searched and found that for me. I'm very grateful.

I had attempted to go through the poor law records, but found it really difficult to see what I was looking at. Now that you've laid it out for me, I see how you searched, but I think I would have been here until Christmas trying to work that out! I struggled, even when I had your search criteria, but it makes so much more sense now! Someone had mentioned the Pancras Leavendon School before, but I hadn't realised there was a drop down menu to select the Register of children! Doh!

I'm quite excited by this - that is definitely them (or at least definitely all the same family I have been following!) - the crossed out addresses are all ones I recognise from other documents. I had thought that Jane was younger than Sarah, but only because she was baptised later. I wonder why she wasn't baptised at the same time as Sarah?

I haven't a clue about the Rottingdean link - but something else for my task list!

Previously, when I was looking at my Family History stuff, I was just charging through trying to find the next direct link. This is the first time that I've started really looking at their lives. Its so much more interesting... and sad... I always scoffed at the celebs on "Who do you think you are?" getting emotional over ancestors they never knew, but I found it quite heartbreaking reading some of the notes on these children's records.

Thanks once again - you've helped so much.

[Bearcub]

Oh, meant to say thanks about the possible death record too. I've just read what you found about the father dying in the Infirmary (and mother Emma). I'm sure I would never have spotted that and made the link!

I think I have a lot to learn! 

[dawnsh]

Hi Bearcub

It makes doing your family tree far more rewarding when you can put a story to the names in your trees. Without these snippets, the tree is just a piece of paper with loads of names.

But these names have a story albeit one that we may rather not think about, some of them suffered terrible hardships and didn't have the state help we have today with a health service and benefits.

Datasets are going online all the time and the ones that are there may have a lot of useful information if you are prepared to look at them and work through what you are looking at.
As 2 of the children turn up in the poor law records, it wouldn't surprise me if there weren't others.

It may help having a look at the catalogue of the Board Of Guardians records on the LMA website to see what else is available either online or at the LMA.

If you go here

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/Pages/search.aspx

and click on the link for the catalogue the simple search term you need is Saint Pancras Board of Guardians, the reference code is STPBG

Click on the result and then go to the catalogue link which is at the top right of the screen and have a look at the PDF. A lot of it will be irrelevant.

The death record I posted for John Adams shows how it may be possible to rule out entries in the death index by using other online sources, thereby saving you the cost of a useless certificate.

Unfortunately the name John Adams turns up quite frequently.

If John Adams died in the Pancras Workhouse system, then it may be possible to find other possible burial entries at www.deceasedonline.com as they have indexed some of the records for this London Borough.

[Bearcub]

Thanks again. I totally agree with you.

I had already found an earlier Workhouse entry (in 1877) for Father John, Mother Sarah and children John, Elizabeth and Thomas. Whilst John and Sarah were discharged at their 'own request' in 1878, the children say 'to Mitcham' which I believe was also an Industrial school? Trying to find records for there next....
It would appear they spent a lot of the time in the Workhouse and I have been reading lots about where they would have been and what they would have been living like - very sad.

I think a visit to the LMA may be needed, but want to try and find out as much as I can on-line first, so your links are very helpful.

[dawnsh]

go back to the LMA catalogue and search for south metropolitan school district, the reference is SMSD, look at the catalogue pdf and also here

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

There are also Mitcham records in the Holborn Board of Guardian records, the ref code is HOBG

have you searched through the indexed workhouse records on Ancestry?

also try here, these are more browseable images


London, England, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records, 1430-1930
Holborn
Register of Children
Mitcham School: Register of children, 1873-1905

and the LMA has this useful leaflet

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/visitor-information/Documents/04-poor-law-records-in-london-and-elsewhere.pdf