Graham

I have been unable to get to Hereford R.O for quite a while, I will probably wait till the spring 2010, long way off I know, but I will be making regular visits up there. I stopped going because a lot of the 19th C registers were still with the churches.

Mike

I haven't had a chance to have a good trawl through these records yet - looking forward to it. But in answer to your question, based on my own family history it does seem to have been usual for single mothers to give birth in workhouses, even if that wasn't where they usually resided. My great great grandmother Hannah Read in 1861 signed herself into Pontypool Union Workhouse Wed June 5, but this was evidently a false alarm as "discharged by own act Fri June 7". She was back there on Sat June 22, and her daughter, also Hannah, my great grandmother, was born Mon 8 July. Both left Mon Sept 9 1861, mother again "by her own act". Info from Admission and Discharge Book at Gwent RO.
Any breach with her parents, or general embarrassment, over this was evidently healed by 1871 - by this time the mother had found a good husband, and daughter was staying with maternal grandparents (but was also very much a part of mother's new family).
There is, incidentally, a family legend (isn't there always!) that it was the local squire (local being Llanfrechva in Mon) what done it - and that everyone could tell, as daughter had his distinctive red hair! Still seeking red headed squire!

Joss

Gill

It was quite common for single mothers to go into the workhouse to have their children, but only for a very shortwhile.

There would be admission and discharge registers for people going in and out of the workhouse.

1853 - 1858, 1860 - 1893, 1898 - 1926.

Mike