Rickmansworth Almshouses - Mrs Coleman

[cordley]

There is a photograph (postcard) in "Rickmansworth - A Glimpse of the Past" of the Fotherley Almshouses.  I am trying to identify the date and the lady - Mrs Coleman - shown.

Any ideas??  Electoral Roll, Almshouse records?

"In this view the five almshouses are shown with their last occupant, Mrs Coleman, before demolition in the early 30's. They were built in 1682 by John Fotherley for "five poor widows" and consisted of one room. The building that replaced them was occupied by Woolworths for some 30 years, and still bears the stone plaque seen above two doorways in the picture."

[mckha489]

Have you tried the 1921 census on the off chance she is there?
FindMyPast is having some sort of issue, can’t log in, so I can’t tell you.

[cordley]

Yes I've tried the census for 1921, can't find electoral rolls for the area online (and I am not local) those would be possibly useful.

Almshouse records would also be good but don't know if they exist?

[ShaunJ]

You can ask the Hertfordshire Archives to search the electoral rolls for you:

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/hertfordshire-archives-and-local-studies/whats-in-the-archives/electoral-registers-and-poll-books.aspx

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/hertfordshire-archives-and-local-studies/order-a-document-or-search/order-a-document-or-search.aspx

[cordley]

Thanks, I wonder if they hold Almshouse records - will ask. 

They were very useful a while back when tracing another sad relation who had been placed in psychiatric care for most of her life.  Obviously respecting the 100 year rule.

[AlanBoyd]

The item linked here

https://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/towns-and-villages/rickmansworth/rickmansworth-john-fotherley-or-manor

states that the Fotherley Almshouses were at 94-102 High Street. Since there were five I assume this means they were the even numbers in that range.

An address search at FindMyPast finds most of these: 94, 98 and 102 are in the main set of hits but 100 is in a small subset.

Occupants are as follows:
92: a family [not expected to be almshouse]
94: a widow, mentions almshouses
96: not found
98: a widow, mentions almshouses
100: a widow, no mention of almshouses
102: a widow, mentions almshouses
104, 106,108 not found
110: a family

None of the occupants of the four almshouses that I found is named Coleman that I can see, but please don't take my word for it.

[cordley]

Thanks for that.  Interesting article about the Almshouses located 94-102 High Street.

I have tried FindMyPast but can only see Electoral Rolls up to 1908.  Since the photo of Mrs Coleman says she was the last occupant, and that they were demolished in the early 30's, they are probably not relevant.

I wonder when the Almshouses became unoccupied.

The 1921 census has returns for  94*, 98*, 100, 102,  * say Almshouse;  96 no return.  So four occupied at that time.  No 92 is the Fox family, and the sign in the photo shows F & C Fox as a shop next door, so I think Mrs Coleman was living at 100 High Street in the photo.

I am trying to see if Mrs Coleman was an ancestor of mine.

[hanes teulu]

I wonder when the Almshouses became unoccupied.

They were still there May 1933 (newspaper item Uxbridge & W Drayton Gazette)

Des Res
https://www.hertfordshirearchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/GB46_CDEX1025_1_41_1

[cordley]

So demolished after 1933.  But were they unoccupied for a time before they were demolished??

Say a year - or maybe 10?  Just trying to work out when Mrs Coleman lived there.