1881 – Blean Workhouse – Whitstable born people

There are many anomalies in life and even more in researching one’s ancestors. These pages have been written in an attempt to help anybody looking for ancestors in Whitstable in census years.

We have already seen that Whitstable was still half Seasalter in terms of parishes. In addition to this the registration district was Blean. This is a village halfway between Whitstable and Canterbury. Now Blean district covered not only Whitstable, Seasalter and Swalecliffe, but Herne Bay and it’s parishes such as the village of Herne.

Where this is leading to is that it is possible that the people you are looking for may have been in the local workhouse. This workhouse was not in the town. It was in Herne and was known as Blean Union Workhouse. Therefore you could have been searching in the wrong place. The buildings were later converted into a hospital and more recently been developed into a residential area known as Canterbury Fields.

In looking at the census data for the Blean Workhouse in 1881 we found that the information was broken down into sub-sections. We assume this was for the different wings that housed men, woman and children separately. After we had extracted the data for Whitstable born people we then put it into alphabetical order for ease of your perusal. We then found that we had in some cases joined families back together.

Blean Union Workhouse – 1881 Census, Whitstable born people.
APPLETON George Pauper U Male 51 Whitstable Formerly Fisherman
APPLETON Nancy Pauper U Female 31 Whitstable
BARNETT William Pauper W Male 64 Swalecliffe Labourer
CARR Leonard Pauper U Male 70 Whitstable Formerly Baker
CLEAVER Rosa Pauper Female 13 Whitstable Scholar
EELEY George Pauper Male 10 Whitstable Scholar
FEARN Mary Pauper M Female 41 Whitstable Housekeeper (Dom)
GILBERT Ann Pauper W Female 80 Whitstable
HOCKLESS Elizabeth Pauper U Female 29 Whitstable Formerly Servant
HOGBIN James Pauper W Male 81 Whitstable Formerly Seaman
HOLBOURN Rebecca Pauper W Female 74 Whitstable
HUDSON John Pauper W Male 60 Swalecliffe Labourer
HUDSON Martha Pauper Female 13 Whitstable Scholar
JACOBS Emma Pauper M Female 62 Whitstable Fishermans Wife
MAY Sarah Pauper U Female 57 Whitstable Charwoman
NEWING Charlotte Pauper Female 2 Whitstable
NEWING Edwin Pauper Male 12 Whitstable Scholar
NEWING Nathaniel Pauper Male 4 Whitstable Scholar
NEWING Nelson Pauper Male 6 Whitstable Scholar
NEWING Philadelphia Pauper Female 10 Whitstable Scholar
PAGE Ann Pauper W Female 90 Whitstable
PHILLPOT John Pauper U Male 62 Whitstable Labourer
PUTWAIN Harriet Pauper U Female 37 Whitstable Domestic Servant
REGAN Charlotte Pauper U Female 23 Seasalter
REGAN Thomas Pauper Male 14 Seasalter Scholar
SMITH Selina Pauper U Female 25 Whitstable
ST.CLAIR Alfred Pauper Male 11m Whitstable
ST.CLAIR Ellen Pauper Female 7 Whitstable
ST.CLAIR James Pauper Male 5 Whitstable
ST.CLAIR Margaret Pauper M Female 35 Whitstable
STURGES William Pauper W Male 56 Whitstable Labourer
WALKER James Pauper W Male 48 Swalecliffe Formerly Soldier
WATERS Edith Pauper Female 12 Whitstable Scholar
Why were they here?

Many of these people were here because of circumstances beyond their control. For many widows, orphans and the infirm the workhouse was just one step up from dieing of starvation on the streets.

That said, it was not a place, or a life that anyone today in this country would have to endure. Hopefully many of these people did not end their days here and managed to carry on their lives back where they belonged.

Pause for a moment and think how you would have faired in their place.

: