Birkenhead Institution

Post by **lorry** » 07 Mar 2011 03:35

Hi,
Does anyone have info on inmates in the late 30's to early 40's. I have a great aunt - Sarah Helen Wilkinson who died in this institution in 1941.
Would you know where she would have been buried and does anyone have a photo of this place?
Thanks, Lorraine

Post by **Hilary** » 07 Mar 2011 09:05

Could you please post the full details of Birkenhead Institution and it's address as I can't find such a place.

You could try Wirral Archives who might be able to help.

Post by **MaryA** » 07 Mar 2011 10:57

An enquiry to either Wirral Archives or the Chester Record Office might give you some advice, however, it is possible that any records under 100 years old may not be available.

Post by **dickiesam** » 07 Mar 2011 12:18

Hi Lorraine,
Googled for Birkenhead Institution without any hits. Can you tell us where you saw the name and where it was?

Dickiesam

Post by **lorry** » 08 Mar 2011 05:58

Hi Dickiesam,
I found Sarah's probate on Ancestry and it mentioned that she had died "of Birkenhead Institution Derby-road Higher Tranmere, Birkenhead" spinster died 6th July 1941, Probate, Liverpool to Henry Hyde Blakey (brother-in-law) master mariner.
On another note in census records it shows that Sarah was a private governess and assistant teacher.
Possibly she was working at the Institution and maybe not an in mate.
Any clues would be great.
Thanks
Lorraine

Post by **Tina** » 08 Mar 2011 08:05

Hi Lorraine
I trawled through Derby Rd Higher Tranmere in 1938 Directory & couldn't find anything.
All the addresses had occupants but mostly it was small businesses.
Unless the place was off Derby Rd in one of the many side streets.
Could it be Birkenhead Institute which was a grammar school???

Tina

Post by **Hilary** » 08 Mar 2011 08:40

Googling the name with the address you have now given produces the information that it was

Birkenhead Workhouse and Institute has been St Catherine's Hospital since workhouses were abolised (wikimapia)

More information on www.workhouses.org.uk

Post by **dickiesam** » 08 Mar 2011 15:34

Hi Lorraine,
At the time of your gt.aunt's death St Catherines's was a hospital but with a 'left-over' from it's workhouse days.

It had ceased to be a 'Workhouse' in the 19th and early 20th century tradition but continued to operate a Public Assistance Institution until the abolition of the Poor Laws in 1948. The Workhouse Infirmary had become the Birkenhead Union Infirmary until 1934, then it was known as the Birkenhead Municipal Hospital until 1948, and thereafter St. Catherine’s Hospital.

History here: http://www.stjosephsbirkenhead.co.uk/hi ... khouse.asp

When the Institution closed the remaining 'inmates' [all elderly] were, I believe, transferred to a charitable institution in Liverpool, run by a religious order of nuns. I have a reference somewhere of where it was from an earlier piece of research.

DS

Post by **MaryA** » 08 Mar 2011 16:02

lorry wrote:Possibly she was working at the Institution and maybe not an in mate.

The entry in the death indexes gives her age -

Sarah H Wilkinson Q3 1941 Birkenhead Cheshire 8a 848 age 66

so it's unlikely that she would have been working there.

Post by **dickiesam** » 08 Mar 2011 17:34

Double trouble!

Based on her age at death....
Births..
WILKINSON, Sarah Hannah - Bradford, Yorkshire - 1874 Sep qtr.
WILKINSON, Sarah Hannah - Bramley, Yorkshire - 1876 Sep qtr.

But sadly...
Deaths Jun 1877: Wilkinson, Sarah Hannah - 0 - Bramley - 9b - 257.

So it looks like the 1874 Sarah is Gertrude's sister.

DS

Post by **lorry** » 08 Mar 2011 22:43

Hi DS and others,
Yes, Sarah and Gertrude and Alice Wilkinson were all sisters.
Sarah has been listed as Sarah Ellen and Sarah Helen (her death states Sarah Ellen. Also Gertrude was born as Ann Gertrude just to make things tricky.
These three women were my Grandfather's sisters and I am looking for any possible living descendants from them.

I do not have a photo of my Grandfather - Captain William Beastall Wilkinson.
He died in Mauritius in 1938

Sarah never married and I think that she must have been in the Birkenhead Hospital at her death as she was 66 yrs old.
Gertrude married Henry Hyde Blakey (I have a separate post on him) and Alice married at 43 yrs to a Christian Lorck Gerhardsson Wiese (no issue)
What I am looking for is where are they all buried?
I have been asking some questions from Wallasey Cemetery but had no reply.
I live in Australia so I am not at all familiar with the district so I have no idea which cemetery would be close to Birkenhead Institution or Hospital
Thanks for your efforts
Lorraine

Post by **dickiesam** » 08 Mar 2011 23:17

Hi Lorraine,
When Gertrude died in Brecon in South Wales, was she living there at the time? Seems odd that she should die down there and Henry a 100 miles or so away in St Asaph, North Wales.

I thought the death in Wallasey I had found would be her given that she and Henry lived there for long time.
Blakey, Gertrude A - aged 79 - Wallasey - 10A - 507 - 1954 Sept qtr.

I assume you have the death cert from Brecon confirming who she was?

DS

Post by **lorry** » 09 Mar 2011 00:01

Hi DS,
I have been going over your replies and it seems that you probably have the correct Gertrude A Blakey d. 1954. I live in Aus. and have no idea where these areas are.
Is there an on-line certificate ordering dept that I can pay by visa?
I know when my sister purchased our Great grandparents certs. she needed to have someone in the UK to pick them up for her.
I will definately be getting Gertrudes and possible Henry Hyde's as well.
I wonder if their daughter Barbara H (is possibly Hyde) Blakey. I still haven't found her death under Jones or Blakey yet. Maybe she is still alive!!!! Do you have access to the telephone book for that district? Jones is a real pain for a surname though. I don't want it to be a deadend as I am hoping to find a photo or 2 of my Grandfather and his sisters.
Thanks again
Lorraine

Post by **Tina** » 09 Mar 2011 09:13

Hi just to add
William Beastall Wilkinson
born 1875 Eccleshall Burslow
which bordered Derby/Yorks

Not sure Lorry if you have the following??

1881 states born Sheffield
6yrs old
parents in Eccleshall Burslow Yorks
8 Priory Terr
Wm Hy 35 bn Sheffield provision merchant emp 2 men 1 boy
Annie 35 bn Holbrook Derby
Sarah E 10, Alice 9, Ann G 7 all bn Sheffield.
1 servant

1891 if you need them

Tina

Post by **Hilary** » 09 Mar 2011 09:18

You can order online at the General Register Office. They take orders from all over the world and despatch them by post

www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certiificates

For any of the cemeteries in the Wirral the best place to contact is
the cemetery office at Landican Cemetery. They hold the registers for all the Wirral Cemeteries. Wirral is the present day local government council. However you will need to know a date of death. Someone dying in Wallasey could be in Rake Lane Cemetery or if they attended St Hilary's C of E church in their graveyard. Someone whose home address was Birkenhead would be more likely to be in Landican cemetery itself but they could have been taken to a family grave elsewhere.

landicancemetery@wirral.gov.uk

You say you don't know where the places are. Perhaps your local library has a Road Atlas of the UK you could then photocopy the relevant pages for your home use. I know our local library holds road maps for all over the world.

Post by **Tina** » 09 Mar 2011 09:31

Hi there are a few posts in rootsweb about Wm Beastall dying in Mauritius.

Tina

Post by **dickiesam** » 09 Mar 2011 10:34

Just to add a footnote to Hilary's post above re maps, I suggest you also download Google Earth for free. All you do is type in something like 'wallasey cheshire' [without the punctuation or bothering about case] and Google Earth will get you there in a flash. Same with St Asaph, Stockport, Landican Cemetery etc.

DS

Post by **lorry** » 09 Mar 2011 22:06

Hi Tina,
I do hold a copy of WB Wilkinson's birth and it says that he was born at 89 South Street, Ecclesall, Bierlow on 13th Dec 1874.
I also have his marriage (Australia) and his death which took me 12 years to find in Mauritius.
I am trying to find any living descendants from his 3 sisters. The only hope that I have is Barbara H Hyde born 1915 in Birkenhead.
I have ordered 5 certificates yesterday and hopefully they might give me some more clues. At least I will have their death dates so I can pursue their cemetery locations.
Thanks ED for all of your assistance. I will keep searching
Lorraine

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