Sunderland Union Workhouse

[BlueSavannah]

Hi,
I wondered if there was anyone that could point me in the right direction with the Sunderland Workhouse.

My great x 4 grandmother, Elizabeth Bowen, was in the Sunderland Union Workhouse on the 1861 census. She was still there in 1871 and died there in 1874 aged 58. On both of the census' she was listed as widowed and on the 71 census, listed as 'insane'.

I would like to know if records still existed for admissions to this workhouse and if they are available to the public? I am keen to know why she was admitted. I can only presume it was after her husband, Henry Bowin's, death sometime between 1851 and 1861 (I still havnt found his death :rolleyes:)

[kiterunner]

I think you would need to try Tyne & Wear Archives:
http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/

[BlueSavannah]

Many thanks for the link :)

[borobabs]

Also try this page

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/

[BlueSavannah]

thanks Borobabs

I have emailed the first link with all the info I have. Will take a look at the second link too now :)

[Durham Lady]

Sunderland Union Workhouse was on Chester Road and was later the site where the General Hospital stood. The hospital has been rebuilt and is now called Sunderland Royal Hospital.
I did have a website about the workhouse, will see if I can find it.

This is all I have re Sunderland Workhouse.

http://www.institutions.org.uk/workhouses/england/dur/sunderland_workhouse.htm

I did mean to add that a lot of the old folk, when I was growing up, would refuse to go to the General Hospital because of the stigma of it once being wher the workhouse was. They would beg their Dr to send them to the Royal Infirmary instead. :)

[JBee]

I visited Southwell Workhouse a National Trust property in Notts which was fascinating and gave a good view of what life was like. It was in use right up to mid 1970's for the homeless.

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/southwh.html

Yes many of the workhouses became hospitals.

[BlueSavannah]

Many thanks Daphne and JBee, many apologies for the late response, I went straight out after work yesterday and only just seen them.

Unfortunately, I dont have much knowledge of the Durham area and where records etc are kept, so any advice is greatly received.

I am wondering if she became mentally unwell after the loss of Henry (and a few children). I wish I could find Henry's death. Two of their children appear to have survived (one being my great x 3 grandmother). The other, did live to be an adult but I dont know what happened to him.