Searching for someone in county home/workhouse? Kings County (Offaly)

aev

Hi,
Wondering if anyone has any information on census records/or other records kept on county homes?
I have found the right person on the 1901 census but in 1911 she has disappeared and the family story goes that she became pregnant while unmarried and was sent to the county home, probably around 1911 and therefore why I can find no record.
Any information on how to look for records on county homes/workhouses/poor houses etc greatly appreciated! Who I am looking for was in the county home in Tullamore, Co.Offaly
Thanks

pinkypinky

This could be a challenge.
People in institutions/barracks, etc, are listed by initials only, so it's had to identify them if you don't know much about them.

The Offaly county library maybe able to just tell you where these places were located, and then you can browse into the 1911 census to find the street. The link below is mainly so you can find their number.

http://www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Libraries/Local_Studies_And_Archive_Service/Study_of_Local_History_or_Genealogical_Research/Study_of_Local_History_or_Genealogical_Research_.html

aev

Thanks pinky.
Yes, it is a challenge alright! I know the address for the home and have done a search in the 1911 census, but as you say it is just a person's initials. And even at that I haven't found the right initials corrsponding to the right ages.
I am basing this on what family have told me, that she was sent to the county home. Do you know of anywhere else she could've been sent because she got pregnant out of wedlock?
There is no match on the census with her full name so I'm presuming wherever she was, she is recorded only under her initials.

pinkypinky

Unfortunately (and this is all speculation), they could have sent her anywhere in the country. You hear anecdotally of girls being sent to Magdalene laundries on the other side of the country, or to Britain, where no one would know them.

Have you considered that she may have married and be listed under a different name? Sometimes the couple would just get married immediately and go to a different part of the country to pretend they were married a longer amount of time.

aev

Unfortunately it is probably a case of looking for a needle in a haystack. I think probing further into family member's memories might help!
Yes, she did marry but not until 1916 when she was still listed under her maiden name and no sign of a child.
Do you know if it ever happened that a family simply left someone out of their census return form because if they included them they would have had to also include the illegitimate child?
Thanks for your help so far pinky

pinkypinky

I've never heard of that - but it could have happened. They would have been aware that no one would be seeing the form beyond the census enumerator, but like today, could have been concerned about embarrassment.