1881 Blean Workhouse - Whitstable born people.

Introduction

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.

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.

Related pages.

Whitstable born people recorded at the Blean Union Workhouse.
| 1851 | 1871 | 1891 | 1901 |