ARC TBC Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

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ARC TBC Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby mrsmoo » Sat Nov 12, 2016 7:38 pm

I would be really grateful for a little help please.
My grandparents were Florence May Moss and Reginald Victor Hill.
They were married in 1928 and had 4 children in total.
Around 1936 there was a tragic accident. Florence was pregnant with my Aunty Doreen and she was knocked over by a horse and cart.
The accident left her with brain damage (told to me by my mother). As a result Reg disappeared, all four children were put into children's homes and Florence was put into a workhouse. I am trying to verify this story and know for sure that the children were in care and split up.
I have found both my uncles on the 1939 register in a home in Surrey but I can't find my Mum or my Aunty at all. As for the workhouse records I know they became Public Assistance Institutions in the 1930's but I have no idea how to start looking for these and I also have no idea which institution my Grandma was put into, it could have been the London area but she was from Dudley and her family were all in the Dudley area.
My cousin tells me that Mum's brother didn't know of any accident (he would have only been 6 at the time).

Are there any medical records that can be found? Would a brain injury have justified putting my Grandmother into a workhouse, taking the children from her and splitting them up?
Do the records tell you how and why people were admitted to those awful places?

My Mum was told that her father Reg had been killed in WWII.
Then in 1998 she discovered that her father had been alive until 1965 and living with a new family in London (they had 6 children).
I know that they were living in Wandsworth, London and that his partner was Florence Brownhill who was actually my Grandmother's niece :o (her sister's daughter).
I have not been able to discover any marriage records.
Is it possible that Reg couldn't divorce his first wife because she wasn't of sound mind?
Would he have had any rights as a father in keeping his children from his first marriage?
It seems that all of the generation that would have known the answers to my questions (had I been able to contact them) have now passed away.
Are there any record sets that may provide some clues to this sad sad story?

I find it so frustrating that the information I need to see may not be published until long after I am gone, unless I can manage to live until I'm over 100 and keep my wits about me. :crazy:
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby Northern Lass » Sun Nov 13, 2016 11:06 am

So this is the marriage not in Dudley area.
Marriages Dec 1928
Hill Reginald V Moss Maidstone 2a 2189
HULL Emily Whyman Maidstone 2a 2189
Moss Florence M Hill Maidstone 2a 2189
WHYMAN Harry HULL Maidstone 2a 2189
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby Northern Lass » Sun Nov 13, 2016 11:10 am

Is this doreen?
Births Mar 1937 (>99%)
Hill Doreen G E Moss Surrey N.E. 2a 5

where were the other 3 born?
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby mrsmoo » Sun Nov 13, 2016 12:32 pm

Hi Northern Lass, the marriage record is correct. Doreen Hill was born on 25th Dec 1936, registered in Surrey North Eastern, Kent. My mother Eileen Hill was the oldest born in Linton, Maidstone, Kent 21st Jan 1929. Reg Hill was born in Bromyard, Herefordshire 6th Jun 1930 and Ray Hill was born in Bromley, Kent 16th Apr 1932. Both the boys can be found on the 1939 register living at 132 & 163 Central Homes Kingston Road , Maldon and Coombe M.B., Surrey, England.
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby BC Wench » Sun Nov 13, 2016 3:09 pm

On the 1939 register there's a Doreen Georgina Hill born 25 December 1936 living at Central Relief Institution (Public Assistance Institution)
37 Coombe Road, Kingston-upon-Thames M.B., Surrey, England. Also living at the same address there's a Florence Hill born 19 April 1905, could this be your grandmother?
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby mrsmoo » Sun Nov 13, 2016 5:10 pm

Thank you sooooo much BC Wench. You've found my aunty Doreen and my Grandma Florence. That's made my day. :grin: I've managed to find them both on the register now but I had to reduce their full names in order to discover them. It's strange that Mum (Eileen Hill) doesn't seem to be with them.
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby mrsmoo » Mon Nov 14, 2016 5:28 pm

I've been searching for Mum on the 1939 register. It could be that her record is officially closed. She passed away in April 2015 so could I now get her record opened? I have found all her siblings in institutions in the Surrey area.

I have also discovered that my Grandma Florence Moss married again in 1953 to a Walter Fletcher. This confirms that she was divorced from my Grandfather Reginald Hill (at least I think it does). I have searched and searched but I cannot find a marriage for him with Florence Brownhill. She was married previously to a William Wallace but I cannot find a marriage using the name Florence Wallace either.
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby gardener » Thu Nov 17, 2016 1:45 pm

Yes, you should be able to get her record opened now. If you follow the links on the 1939 search page it tells you how to do it.

I'm not sure that a second marriage is proof of a divorce. Unless the marriage certificate actually gives "divorced" as marital status - maybe then you have to show documentation to support it. Do you have that certificate?
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby mrsmoo » Thu Nov 17, 2016 7:09 pm

Hi Gardener, I've sent off all the info needed to hopefully open Mum's record in the 1939 register if she's there. Fingers crossed.

No I don't have the marriage certificate for Florence and Walter. I'm not sure it would be much help to me. The one that would be of huge help is the marriage of Florence Brownhill (or Wallace) and Reginald Hill but it doesn't seem to exist.
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Re: Brick Walls Moss/Hill story and workhouse records

Postby BC Wench » Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:20 pm

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to the Brickwalls Archived section
within 24 hours
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