Genealogy Forum UK

Can some kind soul give me some advice on Workhouse records please? I'm trying to get my head round the various Workhouses and Poor Law Unions in London in teh latter part of the 19th Century and it's a minefield!

My ancester was born in the London Parish of Fulham in January 1882. He then appears as a foster child in Kent on the 1891 Census. Sometime in between the years '82 and '91 he was "in a childrens home" but that's all I know.

I'm making an assumption that he would have gone straight into the nearest Workhouse before eventually being boarded out sometime before 1891. What records should I be looking for here? What Poor Law Union? And which are my likely workhouses?

Or am I asking completely the wrong questions?

Many thanks

Dave

Hello Dave - It could be very worthwhile contacting Dr Barnardos. I found some really interesting information for a friend of mine, whose GG Granddad had been in Dr Barnardos in London. I had to pay and then wait for about six months, but we managed to get his training record, his working record, his medical record and photos and letters from his parents.

Maggie

Thanks Maggie. Sadly I've done the Barnardos route and they had no record of him.

-Dave

in our link section right at the bottom there a list of sites on workhouse might get some info from them ?

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=336

Hi peterd.

Yes I've been to workhouses.org, but I find it a bit complicated. That's why I thought if I put a request on here someone could explain to me where I need to go.

You could try writing to the local archives. Around here, we have some workhouse records held locally, but they have been transcribed by volunteers.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/arch ... .asp?LR=85

They do normally tell you which records they hold on their website.

Good Luck - Maggie

Another possible route might be the Quakers as they ran orphanages.