Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Did the Liverpool Workhouse, Brownlow Hill, record patients'/inmates' place of birth? I have a Silvanus Willetts died of Senectus (old age) there in 1849 aged 76 years, occupation gunsmith. He was also there on the 1841 Census. He was not born in Lancashire and I'm still trying to find out where he was born. He was possibly from the midlands the surname was very common there and a gunsmith of the same surname was mentioned as living in the midlands.

Blue

Sorry Blue no place of birth recorded in the Workhouse Volumes. If he was born outside the Liverpool area it may be worthwhile looking in other records for the Select Vestry because they sometimes had removal orders issued and the inmate would be taken back to their place of birth so the Select Vestry would not be accountable for his Relief. Just google Removal Orders and you should get the information about how the Poor Law worked

Thanks Katie. He'd lived in Liverpool for 50 years so I think the parish would have accepted him as an adopted Scouser

Blue

Try the Liverpool Town Books. I haven't extensivly looked at these even tho I have been meaning too. I have had a brief glance through them and I'm sure people coming to settle in Liverpool had to give a few bob. Could be wrong.

There was a Silas Willits born 1769, Halesowen, Worcester, son of Mark & Joanne. Moya

Hi
When daughter Elizabeth Sophia was baptised at St Nick's 25 Feb 1797.
father is Silvanus Willetts gunsmith mother Jane nee Russell, Kent St (Anx)
Marriage St Pauls SILVENUS Willetts 12.8.1793 (IGI)
Same names for Dad and Mum in 1805 when Ruth (Buth) was baptised
St Nicks. Living at Gilbart St.
Not much help Blue

Tina

moya wrote:There was a Silas Willits born 1769, Halesowen, Worcester, son of Mark & Joanne. Moya

This was a possibility a while back until I found a tree online proving that it was not a match. This person didn't come to Liverpool.

So far I Have Silvanus married in 1793 to Jane Russell (the name Russell was passed down in our family as a middle name), listed in directories, mentioned with other Willetts in relation to gunmaking on oldguns.net, 1841 Census, Death Certificate 1849, burial St. Martin's and the following children:-

Samuel Willetts (entered as Philips) 1794
Elizabeth Sophia Willetts 1797
James Willetts 1800
Isabella Willetts 1803
Ruth Willetts 1805
Jane Russell Willetts 1809
Thomas Willetts 1813

Samuel and Thomas became hairdressers. James became a blacksmith so gunmaking wasn't continued in the family despite there being a lot of Willetts people in the business. Going by the surname and gunmaking connections the likely counties for Silvanus' birth are Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Blue

1841 when he's in the workhouse, he's not born in the county.

Tina