Barnhill Poorhouse, Glasgow

[Megedith]

I'm trying to trace my Gt, Gt, Gt grandfather Alexander Gibson b 1839 in Ireland who lived in King Street Glasgow in 1871.  I believe he was in the Barnhill Poorhouse in the late 1880s.  He was "sponsored" to the Bolton Workhouse in 1903 by a Mr Harkins of 6 Hartington Place off Springburn Rd Glasgow at this time.  Was Mr Harkins somehow connected to the Barnhill Workhouse?

[still_looking]

The Mitchell library in Glasgow holds some records relating to Barnhill, outline details in here:
https://www.workhouses.org.uk/Barony/

If you haven't already done so it might be worth be checking to see if there's a Poor Relief application in the archives at the Mitchell for your ancestor. They can be very informative.

Hopefully those records will hold the answer to your query if no one on here knows.

S_L

p.s. it might be worth checking the census for 1881/1891 for Harkins on the off chance that there aren't that many in the area but that might be a long shot.

[shanreagh]

The Harkins family is a well known family mainly from Co Donegal in Ireland.  And also from other NI places.  It may be he was extending the hand of family friendship or connections to your ancestor.

If you haven't an idea of what part then this might be a clue. 

Port Glasgow/Glasgow were areas where NI families came for work. 

[MonicaL]

In trying to see whether we could find anything on Mr Harkins, I was trying find Hartington Place off Springburn Rd. Can't see any reference to it  What was the source for this info? Was it clearly written?

Was Alexander's wife called Sarah Beck? This looks to be their marriage in Ireland in 1858 https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1858/09544/5460027.pdf You may have this already 

Monica

[Megedith]

Thank you all for your suggestions.   Mr Harkins was listed as the person aiding Alex's stay in the Bolton Poorhouse in 1903, it is very clear on the records.  I don't know if a sponsor was needed to enter the poorhouse.   Alex was married to Sarah Beck, she died in Calton, Glasgow in 1872.  I have not been able to find any trace of Alex and his son Alex (b1864) after this date.  Alex's two older sons William Gibson b1860 and John Gibson (b1862, my Gt Gt Grandfather) moved to Bolton around 1880 and were painters.  I was thinking Alex Gibson in the poorhouse in Bolton in 1903 was their father.  This is the nearest I have come to finding Alex Gibson Sn after many years searching.  Unfortunately, I can't find trace of Alex in Bolton, living or dying, after this episode in 1904.

[MonicaL]

Have you come across this entry from 1881, living at 8 Spekeland St, West Derby:

Alexander Gibson 43 warehouse man b. Ireland
Mary Gibson 46 b. Ireland
Alexander Gibson 17 b. Scotland
Edward Minn Gibson 11 b. Scotland

Wondering if these could be father and son. He could have got together/married Mary after the early death of Sarah Beck in 1872.

Monica

[MonicaL]

There is a possible death for Alexander Snr:

Alexander Gibson
64
4th Qrt 1902
West Derby, Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 319

Trying to find him in the 1891 & 1901...

Monica

[MonicaL]

For Alexander Jnr, there is a possible marriage in 1888, 2nd Qrt West Derby, vol. 8b/pg. 319:

Alexander Gibson and, on the page, a Helena Fitzsimmons.

I thought this might be them in 1891 in West Derby:

Alexander Gibson 26 sheet metal worker b. Scotland
Helena Gibson 20 b. Ormskirk, Lancashire
John W Gibson 2 b. Ormskirk, Lancashire
Lydia A Gibson 1 b. Ormskirk, Lancashire

I think Alexander Jnr may have died between censuses. By 1901, Helena looks to have remarried to a William Lee. The family in Ormskirk for that year:

William Lee 33
Helena A Lee 30
Lydia A Gibson 11 Stepdaughter
Alexander Gibson 9 Stepson
James Lee 3
Helena Lee 1
John Lee 31 Brother

As a possibility, there is the death of a 27 yr old Alexander Gibson in the Lancashire Parish Registers for Ormskirk who was buried on 20 May 1893 (ref statutory registers 2nd Qrt 1893, vol 8b, pg 164).

Monica



   

[bbart]

As noted in an earlier reply by MonicaL,  there does not appear to be a Hartington Place off Springburn Rd in Glasgow, but there is a Huntington Place off Springburn.  Possible something was misheard.

There are several electoral records plus the 1901 census showing a George Harkins living at 6 Huntington Place.  He was a tram car driver.

The 1901:
Name:    George Harkins
Age:    44
Estimated Birth Year:    abt 1857
Where born:    Ireland
Registration Number:    644/6
Registration district:    St Rollox
Civil parish:    Glasgow Maryhill
County:    Lanarkshire
Address:    6 Huntingdon Pl
Occupation:    Tram Car Driver
ED:    58  Household schedule number: 40  Line: 11

George Harkins    44    Head
Agnes Harkin 42    Wife
William Harkins  17    Son
George Harkins  13    Son
Lizzie Harkins  13    Daur
Maggie Harkins  7    Daur
John Harkins    5    Son