Alexander McAulay in Glasgow Poorhouse

[SarahND]

Hi all,
Just found a death in the City Poorhouse, Glasgow and am wondering whether there is an application that would give more information on this person. I believe he is who I think he is... but why is he in the poorhouse when he has several children living in the area who are seemingly doing well? Here are the details from the death cert:

1892 District of St Rollox
Name: Alexander McAulay, Pauper, formerly a Night Watchman, Widower of Matilda McLean
When and where died: 26 July 1892, City Poorhouse, Glasgow
Age: 74 years
Father: Aulay McAulay, Hotel Keeper (deceased)
Mother: Christina McAulay, M.S. McKenzie (deceased)
Cause of death: Senile Decay
Informant: Aulay McAulay, Son, 62 George Street

I have seen the case of an elderly person dying in the Workhouse Infirmary in London, although they had another address. This is apparently because it served as the local hospital as well. Would this have been the case in Glasgow also? The fact that he is called "Pauper," however, seems to indicate that he was destitute. If he was just too senile or ill for his sons to care for him, would they have contributed money to the poorhouse for his care? Would this be indicated on his poorhouse record? Sorry to ask so many questions This is my first encounter with the poorhouse records and I'm not sure what I'm doing You'd think after seeing I don't know how many posts about poorhouse records that I would have some sort of unconscious knowledge of this topic, but if it's there, it's deep!

In 1891 he was, indeed, working as a watchman in Glasgow St James, boarding with another watchman and his wife. Before that, he appears to have spent his life entirely in Ross & Cromarty and was marked as a Gaelic speaker in the 1881 census.

Any pointers will be gratefully received!

Sarah

[LesleyB]

Hi Sarah

If he was just too senile or ill for his sons to care for him, would they have contributed money to the poorhouse for his care? Would this be indicated on his poorhouse record?

Just as with BMD & census records, the inspector initially had to take at face value what the applicant had stated. If the applicant says he has no children, or that his children are all in America/Canada/Australia or elsewhere far away, then it may have got them off the hook from a support point of view. Maybe he had fallen out with them, or maybe he did not know where they were. I've seen cases where this kind of thing is what is written on the application - location of the grown up children is unknown. I've also seen instances of the stated "facts" being checked up on and the truth (like his son actaully lived round the corner, or his wife was still alive when he'd said she was dead...) being revealed after a little checking by the inspector. If children or other relatives had been willing to help pay, then that would be stated on the application (I've also seen this on forms)

I have seen the case of an elderly person dying in the Workhouse Infirmary in London, although they had another address. This is apparently because it served as the local hospital as well. Would this have been the case in Glasgow also?

I don't know the answer to that one, and I'm also unsure how the system worked in England or specifically in London. Be interested to find out though!
There is some info concerning how it worked in England here:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/
under workhouse life > medical care

Originally, workhouse infirmaries were intended solely for the care of those resident in the workhouse. The beginnings of a change in this practice came with the establishment of the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1869 which provided certain types of medical care for all London's poor. From the 1880s, admission to workhouse infirmaries was increasingly permitted to those who — though poor — were not sufficiently destitute to require entry the workhouse. Like all recipients of union relief, such patients first needed to have their means assessed by the union relieving officer and, where appropriate, might be required to contribute towards their maintenance whilst resident in the infirmary. Prior to 1918, receipt of poor relief disqualified the recipient from voting. The 1885 Medical Relief Disqualification Removal Act recognised the widening of access to workhouse infirmaries and provided that anyone who was in receipt only of poor-rate-funded medical care no longer lost their vote.

The admission of non-paupers to workhouse infirmaries marked the beginnings of Britain's state-funded medical service, proving free treatment for those who would not otherwise be able to afford it. In some workhouses medical facilities steadily expanded to the point where it outgrew the the establishment's role of housing the destitute. When Britain's National Health Service was inaugurated in 1948, a large proportion of its real estate came from former workhouse and poor law establishments.

If there is an applicaiton for relief or admittance to the poorhouse or the hospital, and there may well be given that he is in the Poorhouse at time of death, providing the applications for that date have survived, my thoughts would be that it would be worth seeing, as I've yet to see an application that did not reveal at least some small piece of extra info that I did not know, but in most cases I've viewed there was a fair bit of additional valuable information. Annette, I know, will be able to tell you much more about these records as she has probably seen far more of them than I have!

Best wishes
Lesley

[SarahND]

Hi Lesley,
Thanks for the insights. Since one of his sons showed up to be the informant at his death, his existence was presumably known by the poorhouse authorities --unless he just popped in after the fact out of nowhere and whisked his Dad off to be buried. Unfortunately, the son who signed the certificate is not the one who I want to make sure is actually his son So it looks like it could be worthwhile to see the application, in case the other children are named. In any case, as you say, there just might be an interesting nugget of information in there that is to be found nowhere else!

Regards,
Sarah

[garibaldired]

have seen the case of an elderly person dying in the Workhouse Infirmary in London, although they had another address. This is apparently because it served as the local hospital as well.

This was very common in England before the institution of the NHS in 1948. My grandfather died in the workhouse according to his death certificate in 1946 in Nottingham. His usual residence was at his daughter's home.


Best wishes,
Meg

[Rockford]

Hi Sarah,

I will be in Glasgow on Saturday and will be in the vicinity of the Mitchell

I'll let you know if I find anything, although depending on staffing I may not get to see the record, but we'll see......

Best wishes

Brian

[nelmit]

Hi Sarah,

You know I won't be able to resist going to The Mitchell to have a look! I'll transcribe it for you or if you would prefer a copy let me know and I'll arrange it. If it's clear enough I'll take a photograph and email it to you.

Most likely the family couldn't look after him and that's why he was admitted - most likely because of his senility. They would have been asked for a contribution if they could afford it.

Best wishes,
Annette

[SarahND]

Wow! Two offers made in the same minute although Brian must have clicked a fraction of a second sooner
Thanks to both of you for the offer, I would really appreciate it, since it doesn't look like I'll be getting over there any time soon.
However I don't want you nice people duplicating your efforts, so maybe you'd better decide who is going to get there first!

Many thanks,
Sarah

[nelmit]

Oh right didn't see that!!

Ok I'll try and get there tomorrow. If I don't manage we'll play it by ear as I can go on Saturday. The records are usually very informative from that era.

Best wishes,
Annette

[nelmit]

Hi Brian and Sarah,

I didn't make it today ( my door repair man didn't arrive till 5pm ) so I'll leave it to you Brian for tomorrow.
If you can't get there let me know before 12.30pm as I'm running the other half in to town then and can nip in on the way home.

Regards,
Annette

[Rockford]

Hi Annette,

I'll definitely be there tomorrow (today?!?!). Hitching a lift with my better half, as she'll be off early doors to the Uni library to prepare for her next teaching placement.

At least your repair man turned up - my wife waited in today for a plumber who had forgotten about us!! It's only the central heating that no' working, so nothing that we can't live without in the heatwave we've been having......

Sarah - It'll probably be Sunday before I pop back to let you know how I get on. I hope the tenterhooks aren't too painful in the meantime

Best wishes

Brian