Worcestershire Workhouses

[Lottie]

Greetings

I am unable to locate my 3 x Gt Grandmother's Death in GRO- in 1901 she was living in Kidderminster a Widow aged 69years, Living on Parish Relief!

Its possible she may have been transferred to the Kidderminster Workhouse - can anyone pse tell me what records for WOR Workhouses are available - partic, Kidderminster and Upton upon Severn.
Margaret NASH was born and lived all her life in Kidderminster - but the only Death in the GRO Index, that fits her - took place at Upton upon Severn.
Is it likely a Kidderminster resident would be transferred to Upton Workhouse.
Her siblings had all pre - deceased her, son and family moved to Selly Oak, and there is no known family connection to Upton upon Severn.

tia

Lottie

[Peter Goodey]

Records would be at Worcs Records Office.

workhouses.org.uk contains a brief note of what's available. I had a quick look at A2A but couldn't spot anything which means either that Worcs RO haven't catalogued workhouse records on A2A or simply that I didn't look hard enough .

Wouldn't it involve a lot less messing around simply to order the death certificate that you spotted and then follow up in the workhouse records if you felt the need?

[Lottie]

Peter
Appreciate your suggestion, but a copy of Death Cert . will tell me no more ( except informant's name , and location of Death) than is in the Index.

I wish to confirm that it is my Margaret NASH,( nee Roebuck ), born Kidderminster 1832 and Widow of Alfred Arthur NASH, and the reason she was in Upton upon Severn in 1907!

That entry could be another Margaret NASH, of same age!

Lottie

[jeeb]

Hi Lottie,
I looked at the entry for Margaret Nash in Kidderminster 1901 census. The age of the lady in question (on parish relief) is infact only aged 60 and born in 1841. A tick has been added to all entries which makes her age appear as 69 as it touches the '0' of 60. I don't know if this makes a difference to your research as it may now not be your Great Grandmother.
With regards Jeremy.

[jeeb]

Hi Lottie,
I looked again at the 1901 census for Margaret Nash and although it still looks to me like her age is given as 60, she is living in Mill Street, same street as 1891, so it is likely to be the same Margaret. She did not however spend all her life in Kidderminster as she appears on the 1861 census as a lodger living in Aston, she is aged 27 a widow and has a son Alfred aged 6 with her. Kidderminster is given as her birth place. If you want more details please ask.
With regards to Margaret being in Upton on Severn, I think it unlikely. There is a marriage of a Margaret Nash in 1866 recorded at Upton on Severn, so it would appear the name was in that area earlier. As I'm sure you are already aware 'Nash is a common surname in Worcs. and the Midlands.
Regards Jeremy.

[Lottie]

Jeremy

Thank you for your research. Mill Street entry in 1901 Census is indeed my GtGt Grandmother born Kidderminster 1834., making her 67 in 1901 ( I have a copy of the original page , from the census ) .

Margaret did not remarry - I had already discounted that 1866 Marriage, as besides the 1861 Census of WAR where she is found in Aston with her sister & brother in Law , she appears with Alfred Arthur also in 1871 Census, and on her own in 1881/1891/1901. There are also Parish Records indicating she received Parish Relief in both 1883 and 1887.

I did order the Death Certificate , and found that Margaret died in Powick Asylum in 1907. The Certificate did say 'of Kidderminster' unfortunately there is 100year closure on the Asylum records , so I am unable to locate her place of burial! Having ruled out all Churchyards in Kiddeminster and also that of Powick, where many of the former Inmates of the Asylum were buried.

Yes I am aware of how prolific the name of NASH is in Worcestershire - I have a choice of 4 possible John NASH ( my 3Xgt Grandfather )Baptisms in Worcester- that would make him of full age in 1820 when he married in Claines, ( before Father's name was included in the Marriage Records ) a problem I doubt I will ever solve. John Nash died in Feb 1840, before the more informative census were taken, 2 of John's youngest children were in the Worcester Workhouse in 1851 census, and from there have totally vanished.!!

again thanks for your efforts
Lottie
New Zealand

[jeeb]

Lottie,
I wonder why Margaret Nash was taken to Powick, there were certainly closer asylums to Kidderminster than Powick. I was not suggesting Margaret remarried in 1866, I had already found her as a widow on 71/91 censuses, I was pointing out the name Nash was in Upton on Severn earlier. I do find it strange Powick came under Upton reg. district. It is correct, I have checked. I am pleased you managed to find Margaret though.
If John Nash died in Feb 1840, do you know his burial place, surely it will give his age and maybe eliminate some of the 4 candidates, unless they were all born the same year that is.
Jeremy.

[Lottie]

Jeremy

Powick Asylum , was for the insane - and apparently, most of the Workhouse Unions sent inmates so classified there.
I have this info. from a more knowledgable researcher than myself, and it was on their advice I took the plunge and purchased the Death Cert.
Margaret Nash, suffered from Senile Dementia , obviously Kidderminster Workhouse, couldn't not cope !!

The knowledgeable friend mentioned above , is at present attempting to locate Burial place for both John and his wife Sarah , which may or may not help narrow down the search. Death Cert. age doesn't assist. as is unclear ( looks like 52 meaning - he could have been born bet 1788 - 1799 !!! ) The informants name is not known aspart of family, but as their youngest child, was only months old , possibly a neighbour, did the informing ) Or I might have the wrong Certificate

Lottie

[jeeb]

Hi Lottie,
I know quite a lot about Powick Asylum, I live about 6 miles away from it, or at least where it was, it closed in 1996. It is true it took the insane but also people of varying degrees of sanity were patients too. My own Gt Gt Grandmother was a patient there, she suffered from cancer and a friends father was also a short term patient in the 1950's, he merely suffered from bouts of depression. Sadly it had and still has locally in some cases a stigma attached to it as 'The Nut House'
Personally I have done genealogical research for 30 years, tracing many families both for myself and friends back several hundred years. I thought as your family was local I might have been some help!
Regards Jeremy.

[Lottie]

Jeremy

Thanks for the extra information about Powick Asylum - the stigma seems to get attached to most Instutions for Insane - or handicapped, any where in the World !!
I have been researching NASH for about 25 yrs, but have been stymied several times by lack of records - and the quanitity of people in WOR bearing that name ! Hopefully I will locate John's Baptism one day.

One of the problems in researching this Branch of my tree, is that at lot of family lore is mixed with fact - or a tinge of fact - which has sent me off on wild goose chases !!
I have only recently located Margaret NASH's death having been searching GRO for a Kidderminster event , for a long time !

A friend was told by WRO , that there are papers ( not able to be released ) describing the refurbishment of the Powick Asylem Burial Ground, mixed with other Asylum Records - apparently will not be avialable until c 1910 - if then, as at present only information pre 1899, is available.

Again thanks for your help

Helen ( nee Nash ) AKA Lottie
New Zealand