Oaklands Bishop Auckland

[AllanUK]

I was wondering if it was still a poorhouse in 1947 and whether that just provided a place to give birth as in a hospital opposed to an instituation type place. I guess I need to research why she might have been in the hospital for that one and not the others. Although in all honesty I don't know where my mam was born in 1950.

It is possible that she needed medical assistance rather than a home birth assisted by a family friend or local midwife (midwives in the 1940s were often local unqualified women). After the formal abolition of workhouses in 1930, they became Public Assistance Institutions -- please see attached snippet image.

[Samantha Pratt]

Hi Allan,

Thank you for that. Can I just ask what 'P.A. Instn.' is/means? Of course I'm assuming you know 

[Ruskie]

Presumably PAI = Public Assistance Institution, as per Alan’s reply above.

[AllanUK]

Presumably PAI = Public Assistance Institution, as per Alan’s reply above.

Correct.

I first came across Public Assistance Institutions when researching an ancestor who died in 1937 -- his death certificate indicated place of death as 'PAI, Hexham' which set me off to find out what a PAI was!

As many others have said 'Every day a learning day' 

[Samantha Pratt]

Thank you both.

I totally agree, every day is certainly a learning day.

There was talk that my maternal grandmother may have been in an instituation briefly at some point. Although Winterton was mentioned, I did begin to wonder if this may have been the place instead. We're finding that some of the things we believed about her past weren't necessarily the exact truth, so I'm pretty open minded.

Before heading to try and access the records for Winterton I'd like a more narrowed time line/frame of where to look.

[AlanBoyd]

 In the 1939 Register it is described as: Public Assistance Institution, "Oaklands", Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland.