Kirkhill Poorhouse, Barrhead

[Muriel]

Does anyone know whether I would find the records for Kirkhill Poorhouse (not one I've heard of before) in the Mitchell or in Paisley. I have someone who died there in 1911. I'm not surprised she's in a poorhouse as she would be the last of a family & there would be no one to look after her. However, I can't work out why she would be in Barrhead; she lived in Glasgow most of her life & on her d.c. her u.r. is given as 71 Mill Street, Rutherglen.

Muriel

[Falkyrn]

From the Poorhouses website -

The Busby Combination Poorhouse

" Busby was a short-lived Combination that existed around 1900. It comprised the 4 parishes of Eastwood, Lochwinnoch, Neilston and Rutherglen. The total population of the member parishes in 1901 was 58,029.

The location and nature of any Busby poorhouse accommodation is unknown.

All the Busby parishes later became part of the Renfrewshire Combination. "

According to the same site the records are held at The Mitchell

[Muriel]

Thanks Falkyrn. What a weird combination of parishes! I'll see what the Mitchell have the next time I make it to Glasgow.

Muriel

[Falkyrn]

It is a weird combination but it may also help solve a puzzle of my own as to why a cousin who also lived in Rutherglen ended up in the Hospital section of the Nitshill Combination Poorhouse.

[Muriel]

Glad my query may have help with your connection Falkyrn. Busby I can understand, it's not too far from Ru'glen, but both Barrhead & Nitshil are a fair distance. I would really like to know how my lady ended up in Rutherglen. When last seen in 1901 she was in Govan with her husband. She's described on her d.c. as a widow, but no husband's name is shown & I can't find his death - my family seem to specialise in disappearing without having any death registered! Oh the joys of genealogical research

Muriel

[Falkyrn]

I have just been looking at an old map which shows the parish boundaries - this combination does make a little sense in that all four areas form an arc around the main Paisley Abbey Parish.

[carlineric]

Looks like there is a mistake on the Poorhouses site. I have been looking at the Vision of Britain website and although they list the parishes from the Poorhouses site their map does not include Lochwinnoch but includes Mearns. The inclusion of Mearns makes sense as this is the main parish in which Busby is located.

[Falkyrn]

I have always found the Poorhouses site very accurate and well informed - looking at the Parish maps shows that Lochwinnoch Parish bordered with Neilston Parish (amongst others) which in turn bordered with Mearns (Busby) and on to Rutherglen - it is still a strange mixture but possibly politics of the day played a part in their deciding to go it alone with regard to providing facilities.