House of Refuge Stockport.

[margaret rose]

In 1901 my grandmother Margaret Mason lived in a house of Refuge at 22 st Thomas Place Stockport she was age 16 and a domestic servant , has anyone any info on the place and any suggestions why she would have been there ,or how i can find any further information on the boarders who lived there incase any of her siblings were with her kind regards Margaret.

[AnnB]

The National Register of Archives show that Cheshire and Chester Local Archives have information on the Stockport House of Refuge, see here (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=O61299) for more details. Probably not what you are looking for, but an e-mail to them may get you some background info on the Refuge.

Best wishes
Ann

[Jan1954]

Hello Margaret,

RG13; Piece: 3295; Folio: 132; Page: 3

22 St Thomas Place was indeed called a House of Refuge, being in brackets under the address.

Margaret was recorded as a domestic and with her were:

Fanny E Payne, 47, Superintendant Instit S, b Warwickshire, Birmingham
Phoebe H Clarke, 28, Matron Assistant, b Lancs, Bury
Amy Elliott, 19, Cotton Weaver, b Derbyshire, Glossop
Mary E Duckworth, 24, Servant Domestic, b Lancs, Burnley
Mary Burgess, 15, Cotton Weaver, b Lancs, Failsworth

All of the above, apart from Fanny, were recorded as boarders. That's it for that building.

Now, next door at number 20, the residence is recorded as Union Cottage House. I have had a look to see if there are any Mason siblings, but there appear to be none. The residents are:

Annie Boden, 37, Foster Mother
Lily Bane 5
Sarah E Bane 4
Letitia Davies 15
Hannah Fieldhouse 11
John Grey 6
Richard Marshall 7
Martha Mollinson 9
George Ratcliffe 5
Sarah A Sugden 13
Mabel Tetchfield 4
Annie Vincent 8
Lizzie Vincent 6

So, it looks to me that your Margaret could have been employed as a domestic to work in the foster house next door, perhaps.

[margaret rose]

Thanks Jan for that information, also thanks to Ann, i emailed Stockport local heritage library yesterday ,although they couldnt tell me any background on the place they are kindly sending me a map of the area and a photoghraph of the house ,thanks again to you all for your help regards Margaret.