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benny1982
08-01-2009, 3:45 PM
Hi

My 3xgreat grandfather William Thomas Coombs died on the 28th January 1885 at St Pancras Workhouse. I have a few info leaflets on the workhouse in Camden Town at home. His actual workhouse death register says that he died in Ward 6.

I always thought that was in the South Wing of the St Pancras Infirmary at the front of the workhouse buildings, previously known as Cooks Terrace but this building wasnt completed until March 1885 and William died in January.

I have been trying to find out where within the workhouse Ward 6 was. I have tried the Peter Higginbotham Workhouse sites and my own leaflets on the workhouse with a plan but to no avail. One of the other people who died in January 1885 was in Ward 302 though. Strange.

Ben

Lesley Robertson
08-01-2009, 4:36 PM
Hi

My 3xgreat grandfather William Thomas Coombs died on the 28th January 1885 at St Pancras Workhouse. I have a few info leaflets on the workhouse in Camden Town at home. His actual workhouse death register says that he died in Ward 6.

I always thought that was in the South Wing of the St Pancras Infirmary at the front of the workhouse buildings, previously known as Cooks Terrace but this building wasnt completed until March 1885 and William died in January.

I have been trying to find out where within the workhouse Ward 6 was. I have tried the Peter Higginbotham Workhouse sites and my own leaflets on the workhouse with a plan but to no avail. One of the other people who died in January 1885 was in Ward 302 though. Strange.

Ben


It might be worth approaching whatever Library serves as the local Library for St Pancras. When I asked the Dundee Library about the Dundee workhouse, they produced a whole file with photos, newspaper clippings and other papers - it's the sort of thing that would attract the attention of a local historian.

Lesley

benny1982
08-01-2009, 7:47 PM
Hi

Yes that would be good. Maybe even when I am next in London I could check local newspapers for the district and see if Ward 6 is mentioned.

St Pancras Gazette has 1880s papers in the Holborn Library as I have checked them but for Holborn areas as a lot of Holborn stuff was mentioned in the St Pancras Gazette but the Holborn Gazette archives havent survived. The St Pancras has weekly reports on the Poor Law happenings.

I am certain that there is a record somehwhere. I do have files on the workhouse but it is just a plan and the rest is about life in the workhouse.

How can there be up to 302 wards in a workhouse, even a large one? I'd say 100 wards tops. Unless there was no set number from say 1,2,3,4 and onwards, ie Ward 2, 6, 20, 40, 50 etc.

William was admitted the day before he died. 27th Jan, died 28th Jan of Chronic Bronchitis. Relieving Officer Henry Woodwell executed the order of admission.

Ben

Lesley Robertson
08-01-2009, 8:02 PM
Hi

Yes that would be good. Maybe even when I am next in London I could check local newspapers for the district and see if Ward 6 is mentioned.

St Pancras Gazette has 1880s papers in the Holborn Library as I have checked them but for Holborn areas as a lot of Holborn stuff was mentioned in the St Pancras Gazette but the Holborn Gazette archives havent survived. The St Pancras has weekly reports on the Poor Law happenings.

I am certain that there is a record somehwhere. I do have files on the workhouse but it is just a plan and the rest is about life in the workhouse.

How can there be up to 302 wards in a workhouse, even a large one? I'd say 100 wards tops. Unless there was no set number from say 1,2,3,4 and onwards, ie Ward 2, 6, 20, 40, 50 etc.

William was admitted the day before he died. 27th Jan, died 28th Jan of Chronic Bronchitis. Relieving Officer Henry Woodwell executed the order of admission.

Ben

Maybe it was the sort of code that we operate in my work building today - room on the first floor all have numbers in the 100s, on the second floor it's 200s, and so on. The ground floor has single digits. Nothing to do with the number of actual rooms.

Lesley

Jan1954
08-01-2009, 8:05 PM
How can there be up to 302 wards in a workhouse, even a large one? I'd say 100 wards tops. Unless there was no set number from say 1,2,3,4 and onwards, ie Ward 2, 6, 20, 40, 50 etc.Hi Ben,

St Pancras workhouse was a thundering great place, consisting of a number of buildings that were several stories high.

You may well find that the first number of the ward (e.g. the 2 in 240) referred to the floor on which it was sited. Then the other numbers could refer to the ward number for that floor - but wihout finishing off the hundred. So, you may find wards 240, 241, 242 and then 301, 302 etc.

Rather like the numbering systems that some large hotels use today.

benny1982
08-01-2009, 8:14 PM
Hi

I have the death register copy in front of me now.

Wards listed are 302, Nursery, 200, 6, 302, 302, 6, 197 and 11.

Ward 6 would that have been on the ground floor or the 6th floor then if this is the case?

Ben

Jan1954
08-01-2009, 8:20 PM
Ward 6 would that have been on the ground floor or the 6th floor then if this is the case?Based upon the knowledge that I have of one of my local hospitals (which was built along the lines of a workhouse and is now closed), I would say the ground floor - or possibly the first, if the ground floor was given over to administration functions.

Lesley Robertson
08-01-2009, 8:20 PM
Hi

I have the death register copy in front of me now.

Wards listed are 302, Nursery, 200, 6, 302, 302, 6, 197 and 11.

Ward 6 would that have been on the ground floor or the 6th floor then if this is the case?

Ben


If it works as our system does, 6 would have been ground floor as would 11, 6th floor would have been in the 600s.

Purely out of curiosity, I've been playing with Google and turned up an old thread from BG (here http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-11912.html) that gives the current location of the St P. Poorhouse Inmates Register in one of the messages.
I think this is the same thing here http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=O68282

There's pictures and history here: workhouses.org.uk

Lesley

benny1982
08-01-2009, 8:39 PM
Hi

If William was really ill with bronchitis, it would make sense to put him on a ground floor ward to save having him climb a few flights of stairs in his condition.

I am probably a little closer to solving the puzzle. If he was ill, the ward would no doubt have been a sick ward.

Ben

benny1982
10-01-2009, 6:20 PM
Hi

I actually had a dream about William the night after this thread was posted. I dreamt that his bronchitis was worsening in late 1884 and that he knew he was dying by the beginning of Jan 1885 and that when he entered the workhouse, he found it really horrible and knew he was dying.

Ben