138, Garngadhill.....

[wini]

I have found 2 ancestors who ended up in the Poorhouse.
They had been tradesmen and still had family alive.
What were the criteria for putting people into a Poorhouse, was it voluntary or were the family unwilling or unable to care for them?

I am obviously confused, been away from Glasgow for too long, I went to Whitehill Senior Secondary which was in Dennistoun just off Duke Street, and I thought Barnhill was in Springburn
I remember Duke Street Prison the womens prison and the Meat works in Duke Street.
wini

[JimM]

Hi Wini
I think that people applied for poor relief when they were not able to support themselves.
Unless they were ill and needed hospital treatment the preferred option was for outdoor relief, which was money or clothing etc. A few of my lot would refuse the poorhouse when offered.
The relief committee would try to find out if the applicant had family who could contribute, or what parish was responsible for their support. That's why the reports have so much details written.
Depending on when your ancestors were in the poorhouse, the city poorhouse at Parliamentary road in Springburn closed in 1905 when Glasgow and Barony merged. The poorhouse was then moved to Barnhill which later became Foresthall hospital.
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/ ... rony.shtml

Jim

[StewL]

Hope I'm not adding to the confusion

Thanks to Jack I found a couple of my lot of deid punters died in the City Poorhouse, Glasgow in the late 1880's St Rollox district, that was how they were written on the DC's

[JimM]

Hi Stewie
you are correct, it was in the registration district of St. Rollox.
St. Rollox is in the Springburn area of Glasgow.


Jim

[Orlaith17]

Hi all. I saw this board and wondered if anyone could shed any light on a children's refuge in Rutherglen? I have a death record for a relative who died 17th December 1928, aged 12 and the place of death was simply given as "Children's Refuge, Rutherglen". His father was deceased at the time as he had died in WW1. His mother was living in Dundee with her other 5 children, all full brothers and sisters of the child who died in the refuge. I'd be grateful if anyone could shed any light on if the refuge had a proper name, in what circumstances a child might be placed there etc.

[AnneM]

Hi Orlaith

Found this on a website about the St Vincent de Paul Society

Archbishop Eyre wanted to found a children's refuge, and this work was undertaken by the Daughters of Charity in Whitevale Street, with funds from the Society. Twenty percent of the Society's monies was directed to this home, until eight years later it was cut to ten percent, the other ten going to the working boys' homes. Later the children's refuge was transferred to fine premises in Belleview, Rutherglen, where it housed hundreds of orphans right up to the time of its closure in 1961. At that time the State was looking into the foundation of homes and institutions of various kinds to fulfil those needs which had been catered for privately by people like the members of our Society. It is interesting to note that the names of many of the benefactors of Belleview were recorded and placed under the altar of the Belleview Chapel. This was later moved to Langbank where it became the altar of the shrine of Our Lady. Indeed, many of the Belleview furnishings were used to help found St Vincent's College at Langbank in 1961.

I wonder if this is the place. Were your ancestors Catholic.

Anne

[joette]

I was reading recently about Poor relief & the Poorhouse -if only I could remember where! It said that Poor Relief was given to those too young,too old or too ill to work.If you were of age,healthy but there was no work around then they waited until you were of one the former states before offering relief.
I have found several ancestors dying in the Poorhouse but this was pre-NHS so most hospitals would have been Charitable ones or the care provided by Insurance paid from your employers or family.If you had no access to those then the Poorhouse would be the only other option-remember too that money & space was at a premium too for our ancestors.They might have wanted to care for orphaned family or aged parents but if the resources weren't there then they would have to turn to the Parish for help.
I think we too often look at the past through our present day lifestyle glasses & don't have an understanding off how desperate the times were.
My Grandparents for example had to leave my Great-Aunt in care after she was orphaned in 1926.They were engaged & my Grandpa even asked his parents to take her in but they felt they were too old to take on a lively 9 year old.It was only after they were married & eventually in their own home that Ruby came to live with them.My Grandpa was always her hero for taking on his wife's sister this was during the depression & times were very hard.

[Currie]

In Parliamentary Papers “1945-46 [Cmd. 6911] Scottish Home Department. Report of the Committee on Homeless Children” the refuge is listed under the heading of ‘Voluntary Homes, Local Authority Homes, etc” simply as “Children’s Refuge, Rutherglen”

Here’s the PP page snippet in Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=zDoPAQ ... CCwQ6AEwAA

No doubt it was officially known by that name at that time.

Alan

[robford]

This was an institution run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. The inmates who reported the deaths were most likely french nuns. They are in the 1871 census. My relative was amongst many irish patients. He had been placed there after an PoorLaw Application. If you can source this for your relative you will find out much information on your family history. Contact me if I can hepl more. Robyn