by BC Wench » Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:29 am
The birth registration on the GRO index for the first child in 1859 states Wellington (Salop) Union. It doesn't mean that the child was actually born in the Workhouse.
When a child was born in the workhouse, the workhouse master would register the birth at the nearest register office where the workhouse was situated. It doesn't differentiate on the GRO whether a child was born at home or in the workhouse. On the birth certificate it will say if the child was born in the workhouse. Some years later it wouldn't state on a birth certificate that the child was born in the workhouse as the workhouse would have been given an actual address.
As an example, Dudley Union Workhouse covered the parishes of Dudley, Sedgley, Tipton and Rowley Regis with the address later on being given as 10 Burton Road. So, I would have thought that "Union" in your case would have covered various parishes in the Shropshire area as SRD has said. It's all to do with the Poor Law Acts and Board of Guardians.
Researching: PARGETER, BELCHER, BRADLEY, DANDO, ROWLEY, ROWSELL