Hull Seaman's & General Orphan Asylum

[Darter50]

My dad died last year and when clearing out his home I came across a bible from the hull seaman's & general orphan asylum spring bank
The date in the bible is 1876 and the name in it says awarded to martha hall
"the best girl" but I have never heard the name or if it was a relation
Thankyou

[AMBLY]

Hello Darter50,
Welcome to Rootschat

Worth mentioning ..When The Time comes for me, my children will find a few bibles amongst my possessions, with names and dates in them  - that are nothing to do with our family. I have collected/rescued a few old bibles that caught my eye, in Op Shops (Charity Shops), (Rummage sales) 

As for Martha Hall in the Hull Seaman's & General Orphanage in 1876.....  she doesn't appear to be there in 1881:
https://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/HullSeamen/HullSeamen1881.shtml

There is a 15 yrs old Fanny Eliz. Hall  enumerated only.

Interestingly there is this 1871 Census:
CENSUS 1871:  at  23 James Street, Southcoats, Holderness, Hull
Wife: Mary Ann HALL 41 married, Ship Carpenter's wife, b Beverley Yorkshire
Dau: Martha HALL 7, b Hull
Dau: Fanny E HALL  5, b Hull

Has your Dad's family history been researched on both sides?  Is HALL a family name, even if you don't recognise there having been a "Martha"?

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

I think the following is the family of the 1871 Census Martha Hall,  and it fits very well to the Martha Hall who received the Bible.......

I believe the husband/father of the Census family  was Thomas Garton Hall who died 1873 and he was a ship's Carpenter.  He married Mary Ann Clark in 1862 and they had (at least) 2 daughters Martha (1863) and Fanny Elizabeth (1865).  This Martha married Arthur Tom Fletcher in 1888, with sister Fanny Elizabeth as a witness, and her father stated to be : Thomas Garton Hall, Carpenter (dec'd)

MARRIAGE 1888 Registered: MQ Sculcoates
Arthur Tom FLETCHER
Martha HALL

Married 25 Feb 1888, Parish of St Paul Sculcoates
Arthur Tom Fletcher, 25, Bachelor. Mechanic, 18 Liiddel St. Father : John? Fletcher, Butcher
Martha HALL 24, Spinster, 16 Sarah Ennis??  Street, St Paul. Father: Thomas Garton Hall, Carpenter (dec'd)
Witness: Edward Thorp Nicholson + Fanny Elizabeth Hall

This marrying couple are in 1891, 1901, 1911 Census.
They had a daughter named Fanny Elizabeth Fletcher in 1896
Martha's age 27 in 1891, 37 in 1901 (the 1871 Martha was age 7)

Working backwards:

MARRIAGE 1862
Thomas Gaston (Garton)  Hall + Mary Ann Clark, Sculcoates 1862

BIRTH:
Martha HALL, mms CLARK - DQ 1863 Sculcoates
Fanny Elizabeth HALL, mms CLARK - DQ 1865 Sculcoates

ELECTORAL REGISTER 1868, Sculcoates
Thomas Garton Hall, Sykes Street

DEATH :
Thomas Garton Hall,  age 48, Registered Hull  Sep Qtr 1873

I'd lay bets this is the family of Martha Hall receiving the bible in 1876.  Amazing to be able to find such strong leads, with such a common surname :-)  (I have a whole parcel of HALL from Hull/Sculcoates - no Martha's though)

If not HALL, does FLETCHER or CLARK feature in your Dad's family history?

Cheers
AMBLY

[Darter50]

Thank you very much but unfortunately none of the above are relations on my dads side and I think they are my grandma s relations her married name was sloan but with my mother having dementia it's been hard going, I have the feeling martha could be my great grandmother

[maddys52]

Great research AMBLY.

Of possible interest, there are many newspaper articles about the Orphan Asylum. This snippet from a report of the Founders Day Anniversary in 1877 describes a bit of the prize giving.
   Friday,  Apr. 27, 1877
Publication: Hull Packet

[maddys52]

Actually, here's another report that mentions Martha HALL receiving a prize in 1880.
Wednesday,  Apr. 21, 1880
Publication: Hull Packet

[Darter50]

Thank you for the information above, that is 4yrs after the date in the bible (1876)

[AMBLY]

wow! maddys52!   
Great sleuthing! Finding the report with Martha Hall's name actually in it!  That all ties in with her being 15 or 16  - and probably soon released out into the world to fend for herself.

Found this old thread, it includes information about where the old records for the Asylum/orphanage are kept etc.,
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=268058.27

Cheers
AMBLY

[amondg]

Going forward
Arthur Tom Fletcher and Martha Hall
All registered Sculcoates

John Exley Fletcher 1889
Arthur 1890
Olive 1893
Fanny Elizabeth 1896     (the one that died 1918 is not this one wrong parents in
                                         newspaper article)
Doris 1899
George 1900
Elsie 1904
Amy 1906  died 1906

I'm missing one child as 1911 Martha states 9 children 7 living 2 deceased

Her husband Arthur Tom Fletcher died 1917 age 53

ADDED Martha Fletcher nee Hall died 1926 age 62