Workhouse Burials

[AudreyF]

Great, Great Grandmother (Caroline Garnham) has been a difficult woman to trace. Her birth year varies by 5 years at any one time - ranging from 1821 to 1826. Caroline married Henry Toombs and they had children. By using the children's names and ages through census I know I have followed the right family but Caroline variously appears as Frances and Catherine and then as Mrs. Collins although no sign of her marriage to Mr. Collins although Henry Toombs had died in 1866. In 1879 she marries a John Green and in 1881 is listed as a 'wife' in the census with no sign of Mr. Green but in 1891 they are together as man and wife.

In 1901 Caroline seems to be in the St. Giles & St. George Bloomsbury Workhouse in Endell Street as a single woman and then things get even more vague. I believe she died in January 1905 in the workhouse - a death certificate for Caroline Green shows that address as her 'residence' and the Master reports the death. The age is right. Occupation is given as 'Domestic Housekeeper of Arthur Street'. There is a record of this Caroline Green being buried on 1st February 1905 in Woking.

So, two questions: Could someone living in the workhouse be employed elsewhere - working somewhere and going 'home' each night to the workhouse? Why would someone who died in the workhouse be transported out to Woking for burial. The list shows Caroline Green was not the only 'inmate' to be buried in Woking although a lot were buried in Finchley. Anyone know more about this sort of thing, please?



Audrey

[Elwyn Soutter]

To explain the Woking burial, there were arrangements between the London Boroughs and certain remoter cemeteries such as Woking to take a lot of their burials. More about it on this link:

www.
rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,128585.0.html

[Kerrywood]

Why would someone who died in the workhouse be transported out to Woking for burial. The list shows Caroline Green was not the only 'inmate' to be buried in Woking although a lot were buried in Finchley

The Woking cemetery will be Brookwood -- please see here.

www.
brookwoodcemetery.com/about_the_cemetery.htm

[olliecat]

In 1901 Caroline seems to be in the St. Giles & St. George Bloomsbury Workhouse in Endell Street as a single woman and then things get even more vague. I believe she died in January 1905 in the workhouse - a death certificate for Caroline Green shows that address as her 'residence' and the Master reports the death. The age is right. Occupation is given as 'Domestic Housekeeper of Arthur Street'. There is a record of this Caroline Green being buried on 1st February 1905 in Woking.

The Caroline Green who was an inmate in the St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury Workhouse was born abt 1820 at St James, W.
1901: RG13; Piece: 238; Folio: 131; Page: 15.

I am wondering if this is your Caroline because in the 1891 census, there is a Caroline Green, single, working as a domestic housekeeper at 25 Arthur Street, St Giles North. She was born abt 1820 at St James in London.
1891: RG12; Piece: 212; Folio 85; Page 30

(Census, crown copyright, care of the TNA)

[AudreyF]

Thank you for the links re burials - I'll take a look.

Now I'm wondering if this is my Caroline! The only other possible on the death index when I searched was in July 1901 in Lambeth. This Caroline was 73 so the age was a bit off and she was noted as the widow of ??????? Green a ????????? - the question marks representing a straight line on the form. The informant of the death certificate was someone unrelated (so far as I could find out) and seemed to be a neighbour. I had no other likely candidates to investigate. My Caroline is in the 1891 census as John and Caroline Green living in one room at 45 St. Oswald's Place in Lambeth. There were two other 'households' sharing the house. John is listed as the head of the household, aged 64 years old and a carpenter born in Suffolk. Caroline is listed as John's wife aged 70 years old and born in Bloomsbury, London so I'm pretty sure that is right which means the workhouse 1901 Caroline can't be mine if she was working as a housekeeper in 1901 and 1891. And if she wasn't in the workhouse in 1901 she isn't the 1905 death and burial noted. Curses!

Audrey

[olliecat]

Now I'm wondering if this is my Caroline! The only other possible on the death index when I searched was in July 1901 in Lambeth. This Caroline was 73 so the age was a bit off and she was noted as the widow of ??????? Green a ????????? - the question marks representing a straight line on the form.

Well, I didn't mean to put a spanner in the works but I felt I should mention this other Caroline working at Arthur Street in 1891. Have you eliminated the death of Caroline GREEN in the March qtr of 1899 in the Lambeth district? She was age 76 which gives a birth date of abt 1823.

[AudreyF]

1899? I haven't investigated this one - maybe I didn't see it, at the time, or was distracted by others 'more likely'. I'll take a look but only ordering the certificate will prove it - thanks for the information.

Audrey

[Sandyhall]

No one has pointed out that the workhouse was also the hospitol so someone who was ill would be sent to the workhouse so that may be why she died in the workhouse.

[AussieJen]

No idea if this will help i have had it bookmarked maybe worth a look
http://www.
workhouses.org.uk/records/archives.shtml
http://www.
workhouses.org.uk/records/

[AudreyF]

I won't know for sure until I have the 1899 death certificate but it looks likely (I hope) that my Caroline was not in the workhouse - at least not for the 1901 census. However, I have plenty of other relatives who were so any information is always useful!

Audrey