London Female Penitentiary

[Lisajj]

Hi all

Can anyone help me please?
I have an ancestor (Kate Giddings/Giddings) on the 1881 census as an inmate at London Female Penitentiary, Pentonville, This is NOT Pentonville prison, and appears to be a charity building for fallen women of sorts. However, searches on Ancestry and FindMyPast want to search prison records - which is isn’t, but it also isn’t an asylum or a hospital.
Kate then appears in Staffordshire getting married in 1884. I’m trying to find the discharge records so that I can find out when and why she went to Staffordshire.
Previous to this she was in an industrial school in London, put their by her grandmother, with the statement that her parents had deserted. No name for the grandmother or the parents. And I do feel like her surname wasn’t the name she was given at birth. I can’t find a birth record for her, but it should be sometime around 1860.
I have all of the information from her marriage onwards.
Any help would be amazing,
Thanks in advance
Lisa

[MonicaL]

A little more description on the institution:

The London Female Penitentiary, at No. 166, Pentonville Road, was formerly a nunnery school. This excellent charity, intended to save those whom vanity, idleness, and the treachery of man have led astray—poor creatures, against whom even woman hardens her heart—started here in 1807. The house was fitted for about thirty-five inmates, but was in a few years enlarged, so as to hold one hundred women. The path of penitence is up-hill everywhere, but especially in London. The inmates are trained for service, and their earnings at needlework and washing go far to maintain the institution. If the peacemakers were expressly blessed by our Saviour, how much more blessed must be those who step forward to rescue poor women like these who are willing to repent, but who are by poverty drifted irresistibly down the black river to the inevitable grave. The report, a few years ago, showed good results. There were 171 then in the house, thirty-one had been placed out in service, and eight reconciled to their friends. From 1807 to 1863 there were 1,401 poor women sent to service, 941 reconciled and restored to their friends, thirteen married, and forty-eight who have emigrated. Altogether in that time charity and kindness had been held'. out to 4,172 of the most miserable outcasts of the metropolis.

www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol2/pp279-289

See also www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol47/pp339-372. A lot of detail included here, including plans and images.

Monica

PS: I can't see any reference so far to any remaining records/archives.

[MonicaL]

Did Kate give a father's name (and occupation) on her marriage registration in 1884?

I note that Kate gave Tower Hill, London as her birth place in the family's 1891 and 1901 census entries. This is in the Stepney registration district at that time.

There is a Catherine Field Giddings born 1st Qrt Stepney, London 1856 (1c/535) to parents Charles Giddings and Catherine Field. Charles I think may have died between 1861-71 and Catherine Field in 1873 (she showed as a widow in 1871). Catherine Jnr shows in family censuses in 1861 & 1871, can't see her after this which is why I wondered if it was her in 1881 showing as Kate.

The big fly in the ointment is what you found in archives for the industrial school where you mentioned that the records stated that both parents had deserted the home, info given by her grandmother. What year of admission and discharge do you have for this industrial school for Kate?

Monica

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Her age on 1881 and the poor school register suggested a date of birth nearer 1860. There's a sibling William b c1861 admitted at the same time

they appear to be together at that school in Hanwell (the Central London District School for the Children Chargeable to the City of London) on the 1871 census

Don;t think they are the Charles and Catherine (nee Field) children

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Granny lived in Queens Square, Vine Street

[MonicaL]

There is a Vine Street just above Tower Hill, with a Queen Court showing on maps at the bottom of it. I wonder if this is the one that Granny gave as her address? As mentioned, Kate gave Tower Hill as her birth place in the 1881-1901 censuses.

I have been using this map which has great detail https://booth.lse.ac.uk/map/18/-0.0755/51.5099/100/0

Monica