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.
Peter Higginbotham has written some pages about the history of this workhouse here. The buildings were later converted into a hospital and more recently been developed into a residential area known as Canterbury Fields.
These days the place is a far cry from the windowless, bleak institution it once was. We are pleased to report that, despite the poverty and conditions ,many people left the workhouse to live a full and fruitful life.
