Hill house, Monmouth

Hello,

I am researching my family history and have just received a death certificate for my Grandfather Thomas Milson Townsend. It states he died at Hill House, Monmouth. Can anyone inform me as to what this place was please?

Thank you.

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? who was the Informant and their occupation on the death certificate -

Searching for deaths at Hill House, Monmouth - there are 12 listed between 1920 and 1930 on the Forest of Dean records.

On Ancestry Probate

Thomas Milson TOWNSEND was living at Bridewell, Christchurch near Coleford, Gloucestershire died 8 April 1923 at Monmouth.
Administration Gloucester 23 May to Mary Eliza Townsend, Widow. Effects: ..........

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? who was the Informant and their occupation on the death certificate -

Searching for deaths at Hill House, Monmouth - there are 12 listed between 1920 and 1930 on the Forest of Dean records.

On Ancestry Probate

Thomas Milson TOWNSEND was living at Bridewell, Christchurch near Coleford, Gloucestershire died 8 April 1923 at Monmouth.
Administration Gloucester 23 May to Mary Eliza Townsend, Widow. Effects: ..........

This was my Grandfather, on the death certificate it says the following:-

Eighth April 1923
Hill House,
Monmouth
then two initials which are not easy to see but maybe MD

Thomas Milsom Townsend.

Male

46 Years

of Bridewell, Christchurch
Coleford Road

a collier

pneumonia (unresolved)
exhaustion

Sydney Potter causing the body to be buried
Christchurch
Coleford

Eleveneth April 1923

signed M.J. Farmer registrar.

This is all it says and I want to know what was Hill House

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Sorry for the delay in replying.

Ref your question, the man named on the death certificate of my Grandfather Thomas Milsom Townsend was a Sydney Potter, causing the body to be buried is all it says.

Due to the fact that my Grandfather was a Free Miner I wonder if this man was with him in a mine when something happened.

I have no information at all hence the reason I requested a death certificate.

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There is a Public Members Tree on Ancestry for Sydney POTTER - and his burial is on the Forest of Dean records

birth : 13 May 1885, West Dean, Gloucestershire
death : 22 December 1947, Christchurch, Gloucestershire

Also lists Sydney's WW1 British Army Service records. Occupation on enlisting: Coal Haulier & Porter. A tall man 5 feet 11 and a quarter inches.

? Sidney/Sydney doesn't appear on the WW1 records (on this website) - it seems he served 1st Garr Worcester Regiment and Gloucester Regiment No. 6090

----

Sydney POTTER married Sept 1924, Monmouth to Leah Ellen GWILLIAM

Probate:

POTTER Sydney of Oak House, Christchurch near Coleford, Gloucestershire, died 22 December 1947 Probate Gloucester 20 April to Leah Ellen POTTER widow. Effects £415 15s 10d.

1939 Register

Christchurch, Coleford

POTTER Sydney - born 13 May 1885 - Coal Haulier (own account)
POTTER Leah E - 16 July 1895 - Unpaid Domestic Duties.

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There is a thread dated 21 February 2011 - Headed

Some Wills Held at Gloucestershire Archives

by: danold

and includes:

Witness Sidney POTTER looks like the Great Uncle of author Dennis Potter - as per this thread : Like Fred Gwilliam , Sidney was born abt 1888, so possibly a mate since childhood.

Then a link

etc etc

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Thank you for all your help, perhaps this man was indeed a friend but I have not much information at all about my Grandparents so every small thing is a revelation.
I have found out that Hill House although listed as a workhouse had a small infirmary located in a separate block at the north of the main workhouse and also isolation wards stood at the rear.

Until I saw the death certificate I had no idea of where he died.

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Just Googling : From 'Who do you think you are' Magazine forum

Question raised on a death certificate was'

'Causing The Body To Be Buried'

and one reply from an ex Registrar

'To register a death you have to be qualified to do so under one of a list of legal criteria.

The qualification of "causing the body or be buried (or cremated), is used when the person registering the death does not qualify to be allowed to do so in any closer way. Often it may be a friend or neighbour, or a solicitor dealing with the estate of a person with no close family."

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I have found out that Hill House although listed as a workhouse had a small infirmary located in a separate block at the north of the main workhouse and also isolation wards stood at the rear.

Yes, this is stated in the Monmouth entry for the "Workhouses" website that was linked within a previous post on this thread. Since Victorian times many of not most of them had a hospital of some form attached. In those times this was often the best chance lower and working-class people had of getting medical treatment, as doctors were often too expensive; eg by the late 1800s it was quite normal for expectant single mothers to book themselves into the local workhouse infirmary, expecting to then discharge themselves a few days later after their baby was born.
Many of the major NHS hospitals in cities around the UK were originally workhouse infirmaries, and so it's not unusual for them to have also had isolation wards back in the times when infectious diseases like TB were so common.

For clarification in case you didn't see it, this is the aforementioned old thread which mentions the Workhouses website.
https://forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?id=45502
see
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Monmouth/

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I believe Hill House was the name given to the old Monmouth Poor Law Institution when it passed from the control of the Guardians to the Local Authority. As with many such Institutions many of the functions continued after abolishment but under another name.

In this 1920 revision:-

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101453331

In this 1940 revision:-

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101453328

In both cases look just north of Monmouth on the Hereford Road.

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Cannot find any direct references to Hill House definitely being the old Workhouse, but certainly that's the belief according to this old forum thread, which includes plenty of links for info abt the Workhouse itself.
https://forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?id=45502

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This advertisement seems to imply a former workhouse,

BNA Western Mail - Saturday 14 March 1931

APPOINTMENT OF LABOUR MASTER AT HILL HOUSE. MONMOUTH.

Applications are invited for the APPOINTMENT of a RESIDENT LABOUR MASTER at Hill House Institution, Monmouth, whose duties will include the supervision of the admission and labour of ordinary inmates and casuals, and bathing, shaving, and haircutting.

Salary £4O per annum, with residence and rations.

The appointment will be subject to the provisions of the Local Government and Other Officers' Superannuation Act, 1922. Forms of Application, which may be obtained from the undersigned, must be completed and returned with copies of three recent testimonials, not later than 10 a.m. on FRIDAY, the 20th March. 1931.

JOHN EDWARDS, Public Assistance Officer, Queen's Hill . Newport.. Mon.. 12th March. 1931.

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Thanks Mike. Yes I agree all the evidence points to Hill House "Institution" being a former workhouse. Apologies as my earlier post was somewhat rushed; I didn't mean to imply or suggest your earlier post was wrong, just that I'd not seen anyone else definitely link the "Hill House" address with the workhouse.
UPDATE - sorry Mike, didn't realise that your map links completely prove the point. The 1920s map labels the building as the "Poor Law Institution" (previous edition states "Monmouth Union Workhouse"). However the 1940s map labels the same building as "Hill House". QED.

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