poor-house

[witchnettle]

does any know where the poor-house was in Campbeltown? x

[Mary G]

The building that became Witchburn Hospital was the "poor-house", I am fairly sure. Don't what it is used for now, I realise. And it has been closed for quite a while now.

[Annie]

Funnily enough it has been turned into flats.

[Mary G]

That got me thinking. So I googled (as you do), and found this fascinating resource that I had not seen before. Interestingly, it lists the names of those in the poor-house in 1881. That was some 80 years before I was born. The records are sobering, since many of the paupers listed where young children. So even if I did not know them personally in their later years, my parents and various relatives certainly would have done. While it seems like ancient history at one level ... 1800's, Victorian institution, Dickens-type images ... the connections to these times, and also these people, are closer than you might think.

You should look at this, if you have not seen it already, especially the listed inmates:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Campbeltown/Campbeltown.shtml

[Dunc]

I may be wrong but the poor-house was behind the Registry Office in Witchburn road ..actually where "Finance " is and was definitely a large separate red sandstone building.The hospital was up a bit.The same road was I think used to get to the "poor-house" as you go to "Finance" nowadays.
It was quite a large building and had lots of beds lined up in a row as I used to "keek" in there when I was small. Hate to say but when I was on the family tree trail I found one of "mine" in there.When you were ill and depending on your social standing you either went to the "Poor-hoose" or the Hospital.
On the family tree subject if you now go on Donald Kelly's excellent Fessenden site and cut across to the West Kintyre section all the Kintyre graveyards are now indexed showing all the "inhabitants" and a big plus point they indicate " missing stones".This is a fab.site by the way really a must see for those interested.

Dunc (low social standing)

[Beachcomber]

You should look at this, if you have not seen it already, especially the listed inmates:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Campbeltown/Campbeltown.shtml

Fascinating website, Mary. Thanks for the link.

[jdcarra]

That got me thinking. So I googled (as you do), and found this fascinating resource that I had not seen before. Interestingly, it lists the names of those in the poor-house in 1881. That was some 80 years before I was born. The records are sobering, since many of the paupers listed where young children. So even if I did not know them personally in their later years, my parents and various relatives certainly would have done. While it seems like ancient history at one level ... 1800's, Victorian institution, Dickens-type images ... the connections to these times, and also these people, are closer than you might think.

You should look at this, if you have not seen it already, especially the listed inmates:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Campbeltown/Campbeltown.shtml

And I see i have got a mention also . Always thought there might have been a bit of the Irish in me .

[Mary G]

Dunc and jdcarra - I am sure that if we all examined our ancestry we would all be in that same boat, so to speak.

In any case, it is very timely to be able to quote Burns, since he had exactly the response to this phenomenon:

"The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that."

and,

"The honest man, tho e'er sae poor,
Is king o men for a' that. "

[petewick]

That got me thinking. So I googled (as you do), and found this fascinating resource that I had not seen before. Interestingly, it lists the names of those in the poor-house in 1881. That was some 80 years before I was born. The records are sobering, since many of the paupers listed where young children. So even if I did not know them personally in their later years, my parents and various relatives certainly would have done. While it seems like ancient history at one level ... 1800's, Victorian institution, Dickens-type images ... the connections to these times, and also these people, are closer than you might think.

You should look at this, if you have not seen it already, especially the listed inmates:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Campbeltown/Campbeltown.shtml

I can remember some elderly relatives talking about so and so being admitted to the Witchburn Hospital and even then the stigma of going into what was the poorhouse was still prevalent.

petewick

[chattichatton]

i have looked on duncan's site and can not find the link to the grave yard list any chance you could post the link on here for me

[Dunc]

Certainly.


http://groups.msn.com/Kintyre/kintyregraveyards.msnw

Dunc

[chattichatton]

thanks for the link. what a fab site lots and lots of other info not just the graveyards have just spent a good hour looking at it. thanks

[witchnettle]

thanks for all the info and for the great links. i was shocked to find my own name on the killean graveyard list, but when i discovered that it has been taken from my parents gravestone i breathed a bit easier, it was definately one of those "someone walking over your grave moments" !!!!!!!!

[Dunc]

Oh yes I know the feeling well....

Easier on the legs than wandering about the graveyards.Plus you can visit at night.

Pity they did,nt bury people in alphabetical groups thou!

Dunc