Please could anyone help with information about Webbes Almshouse and it's inmates in 1920. My great grandparents died there in 1920 and I am seeking information as to when they would have arrived at the Almshouse and under what circumstances.

Using the Advance Search for Burials and just putting residence in a Webbes - there are a number of burials over the years and assume your are interested in Eliza and George DEAN?

Eliza DEAN - aged 71, 29 May 1920, Webbes Hospital -
George DEAN - aged 70, 26 July 1920, Webbes Almhouses

If it's this couple on the 1911 census they are living at 3 Grey Tree Road, Ross, herefordshire with George DEAN their Son and daughter.

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Looking at the 1901 Census, for Herefordshire, Ross, District 1

Almhouses start on page 2 of 39

There are only a few houses listed as Almhouse

On the 1911 Census

Mr John SHOCK - Alms Houses, Copse Cross Street, Ross Herefordshire

(burial on records: 6 march 1917 - aged 94, Webbes Almshouses
Memoranda: The oldest man in Ross passed away at this (illegible) after a good & consistent Christian life

2 Alms : Name of Head: Mr Charles MEEK
3 Alms House : Name of Head: Mr W SMITH
4 Alms House : Name of Head: Mrs S WEAVER
5 Alms House : Name of Head : Mr E EVANS
6 Alms House : Name of Head : Mr J STEPHENS
7 Alms House: Name of Head : Mrs M A BIRD

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Sarah HUGHES died 1911 : Webbes Almhouses
John SHOCK died 1917
Eliza EVANS died 1917
Thomas JONES died 1918
James WOOD died 1919
Walter LEWIS died 1919

Hi,
I'm sure you've already found that Webbe's Almshouse dates from the 1600s, as do at least four others in Ross alone, predating the town's Workhouse & hospital by 200 years. All were quite small, each housing about 6 people. Hopefully the following link will work and take you to the relevant page (175) of the Ross section within the 1913 Kelly's Herefordshire Directory which indicates these almshouses were still operating at that time, still pre-dating the NHS of course.
Some background info here;
http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/295889/rec/2
https://openplaques.org/plaques/41758
http://www.ross-on-wye.com/index.php?page=ross_070-Almshouses&pg=4

Regarding your specific enquiry, all I can suggest is to contact the following Herefordshire and Ross-based sites and sources in the hope they may have relevant records or information. Sadly it seems the excellent visitor centre / museum at Ross Market House is no longer operating, perhaps because Herefordshire now has a relatively new Archive & Records centre at Hereford ?
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200164/archives/83/visit_herefordshire_archive_an...

These pages may also help you.
https://www.herefordshirehistory.org.uk/

Herefordshire almshouses in general
https://htt.herefordshire.gov.uk/1107.aspx

I think you should definitely consider contacting the Ross Civic Society via their informative website ?
http://www.rosscivic.org.uk/index.php?page=civic_000Civic_Society

And the Herefordshire Family History Society who I believe have a forum too
https://www.herefordshirefhs.org.uk

Wishing you good luck in your search.

Yes, it is George and Eliza Dean. I have their death certificates and George's makes painful reading. Eliza had died in May of 1920 of colon cancer and George took his own life two months later by cutting his throat with a razor. I'm trying to find out why they were at the Almshouse and whether they had fallen on hard times. I knew they were at Grey Tree in 1911 and wondered what happened in the intervening years. Thankyou for your help.

Many thanks for your help.

Looking at George Dean (the son, who was a Journeyman Baker) - WW1 records - dated 13 November 1916

George DEAN Jnr address is Forge House, Upton Bishop, Ross

His next of Kin - (his father) -

INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY RECRUIT

Name and Address of next-of-kin:

George DEAN 3 Grey Tree Road, Ross

It would seem, his parents were still living at 3 Grey Tree Road in 1916 -

George Dean's suicide was certainly a sad case. The details were reported in the Ross Gazette on 29 July 1920 and were as follows.

Ross Gazette 29 July 1920

Distressing Fatality

Depressed widower who never smiled

Another distressing case of suicide was the subject of an inquiry, held at Ross Cottage Hospital, on Saturday afternoon, when Mr. Capel, the deputy coroner, attended in the place of Mr. E. L. Wallis, the district coroner, to investigate the circumstances, which brought about the death of George Dean, a widower, of Webb’s almshouses, Ross, who died in the above institution at 7.30 a.m. on Friday, as a result of a self-inflicted wound in the throat. Mr. Bayliss was chosen foreman of the jury.

The first witness called was Albert Dean, a son of the deceased, residing in Broad—street, Ross. The body the jury had seen was that of his father, who was 70 years of age. On Wednesday, July 21st, his father was staying with him. During the afternoon he went out to the back of the premises and found the door of the w.c. locked from the inside. As he could not gain an entrance he climbed to the top of the door, and in looking over the top he saw his father lying on the floor up in one corner. On getting in discovered his father had a razor in his hand and that his throat had been cut. He immediately got him outside, and sent for Dr. Duckworth who came down. And after attending to the wound the doctor accompanied his father to the hospital. The witness further stated that the deceased and his wife had lived together for about 50 years and were a most devoted couple during the whole of that time. But since the wife’s death about six weeks ago, he had never seen his father even smile, and he always appeared to be depressed and downhearted.

Dr. Duckworth, of Ross, said he was called to the deceased at the son’s premises in Broad Street and found Dean as stated by the last witness. He ordered his removal to the hospital, and on further examination he found a very jagged wound in the throat, which pointed to the fact that the deceased must have made more than one attempt to inflict such a wound. The wind pipe was severed, and death was due to the failure of the heart’s action owing to the wound in the throat. From the time he entered the hospital until his death on Friday morning, Dean’s mind appeared to be in a very hazy condition.

The jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst of unsound mind.

The funeral took place in Ross churchyard on Monday afternoon and was largely attended by members and relatives of the family.

Thank you so much for the newspaper article. I did try to find a copy of the Ross Gazette for that date as was sure it would have been reported but unfortunately could only find copies of the Gazette up until 1919. I am so grateful for the help received. Poor man, I am so sorry and it must have affected the family badly although no mention of it was ever made by my grandmother or my mother.

In regard to your GGparents circumstances.

Almshouses are still available today and you could look at https://www.almshouses.org/ and look at some of the current vacancies and the criteria required to apply for one. That could give you an idea of their circumstances. The criteria vary from one almshouse to another as they are all run by different charities so look at a few of them.

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Peter