Good morning

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me if the workhouse records for Fir vale are kept with Sheffield archives. I’m not sure if the record I’m looking for will be there as I’ve heard a couple of stories regarding my Great Grandad, one is that he was found at Fir vale workhouse and the other is that he was found in a squat. I suppose it could be both but I was told that my Great Aunt was told her father was at Fir vale and could she pick him up. I know very little about him, all I have is a date of birth and date of death. I was just wondering if these records could give us any more information.

Thank you

Kerry

Hi

The workhouse system finished in 1929, the only records that exist for Fir Vale are the punishment registers.

Lyn Howsam will have information on this

Angela

Hi Angela

Thanks for getting back to me.
I wonder why they thought he was there then. I guess he could have been punished for squatting.
My gran knew very little about him and my Great aunt refused to talk about him because he was just embarrassing. Do you know how much info these registers had? I’m going to email the archives, their website says they aren’t open because of COVID but they will take email enquiries.

Thanks again

Kerry

Kerry

By 1950 Fir Vale was an NHS hospital and the workhouse system finished 20 years before this.
You can search the archives catalogue at:
http://www.calmview.eu/SheffieldArchives/CalmView/

Angela

As Angela has stated the old workhouse system finished in 1929 and the workhouse part of the site eventually became the Fir Vale Infirmary. Those too old and/or infirm or too vulnerable to look after themselves were taken in there. Most records have not survived and the punishment records are from the early days of the Workhouse.
This site explains it better
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Sheffield/
Lyn

Hi

Thank you for the information. I know when my aunt found her dad he was in a state. I’m not too sure how long he stayed with her but he died in July 1953. One story says she found him in a squat but to be honest I’m not sure how she would have known where to look, another story says someone got in touch and said he was at the workhouse which makes more sense. If he was incapable of looking after himself then I can see why he would have ended up there and the people that ran it could have tried to find his family for him. It’s all really interesting and I don’t know why but whenever I go to NGH I always feel it’s still got that stigma attached to it.

Thank you everyone for your help

Kerry.

Hi Kerry and anyone else interested in the Workhouses that covered the Sheffield area.

We have information and if you look under the SITE MAP over to the left......you will find

a number of sites with a huge amount of information that is sad but very interesting.

When looking for info always check out what we have placed on the site. Start with the Site Map.

Elaine in Ottawa.

Instant Messenger: Skype

In terms of demonstrating the stigma still associated with Fir Vale after it ceased to be a Workhouse, the burial records on this site contain 9629 records where the, usually advanced age, person died at 2 Herries Road. They are all between 1929 and 1955 .
Dave

I know there's a stigma, my mum's still 'weird' about 21stC Northern Gen even though it hasn't been a workhouse for xx years! - but before the NHS, the Firvale site hospital would've been the only way most could access medical care or be looked after in their old age, there's bound to be a lot've death certificates from there; do people just not like it having the workhouse address?
My Gt'Gt' Uncle was admitted to the Smilter Lane Children's hospital, but died within 2 days, 1895 (The record is on S'I; Thankyou :)- Would it have been accessed as an emergency hospital or would you need to be an 'inmate' to be in their hospital? I know he was buried at Wardsend, I'd imagine they used a communal unmarked site for pauper burials. Life was so grim back then; I naively hadn't anticipated how depressing genealogy is when all your ancestors were poor, certainly makes me appreciate the 21stC!

Hi

The more I hear about it being the only way people could get medical help, the more I’m convinced he ended up there. On his death certificate it says he died at 2 Herries Road which I have always assumed was NGH. I know he ended up at my great aunts house because my gran refused to take him in and she’d also got her mother living with them and my great grandparents did not get on. My G grandad had left and cheated etc and there was no forgiveness from gran and great gran, I don’t really think my great aunt wanted him but felt she couldn’t turn him away. My great gran died in February 1953 and is buried at city road, my great grandad died in the July of the same year and although they didn’t want to, they put him in the same grave as it was cheaper. There wasn’t a headstone until my gran died as she is buried with them. I think it’s possible he was found in this squat, probably in really bad shape and was taken to 2 Herries Road for medical treatment, when asked if he had family he said yes and that’s how he ended up at my great aunts. I’m just trying to get my hands on any records with him on because we know absolutely nothing about him. I have his date of birth and death, I know he was a builder and I know he wasn’t around much. I don’t know where he was born, his parents names or if he had siblings, there’s a big gap on my tree that should be filled with names etc. I am waiting for the results of my DNA to see if it links me to people on other family trees that are possibly descendants of his family or possibly his. He was almost 50 when gran was born so we don’t think this was his first family.

Thank you again for all your help

Kerry.☺️