One of the things I’ve been doing during lockdown is to research family history. Every now and then something pops up that generates a smile or an interest. This is one.
This is a picture of Mrs Westowby’s Almshouses in Keldgate, Beverley. It popped up as a residence for Hannah Twiddle in the 1891 and 1901 Census records. Hannah was my Great-great-grandma on the Johnson (mother’s) side of the family.
It’s not until the 1911 Census that house numbers are shown on census records so finding reference to an actual property, and one that still exists, is quite unusual. The 1911 Census was the time that the head of the house became responsible for completing the Census rather than a census official coming to each house in turn and filling in the form on their behalf.
The first record I found for Hannah was a Baptism Record on 6th October 1824. The requirement to register births did not come in until 1st July 1837 so there’s no opportunity to obtain a birth certificate or to find the actual birth date.
The 1891 Census showed Hannah, who was shown as 67yrs old at the time, living in one of the three almshouses along with two of her grandchildren – Charles aged 6yrs and William 4yrs old. She was recorded as “living on her own income”.
Her husband, Charles Twiddle, who she married in 1847 is shown as a Tanner’s Labourer in several census records. They lived in Keldgate all their married life and were last shown together on the 1881 Census. They had nine children – Rebecca became my Great grandma.
In the 1901 Census Hannah is still shown living in one of the almshouses, this time on her own. She is recorded this time as “on parish relief” so perhaps her own income had run out.
It does take time and effort to search through available records online and it’s not always straightforward to match a person through the censuses. In Hannah’s case her name varied on different census forms, remember the person was only speaking their name for the census officer to interpret and write down. The person themselves probably couldn’t write or spell. Variations for Hannah included Ann Twiddle, Hannah Tweedale, Anna Tweddle, Hannah Twiddle and Hannah Twiddl.
Age is not always accurate either as people would not have a record of their birth date. The census is taken very ten years – as we know she was born in 1824 and was recorded in the censuses – 1841 (15), 1851 (25), 1861 (34), 1871 (46), 1881 (55), 1891 (67) and 1901 (78).
I found a record of the death of Hannah Twiddle in Beverley Aged 80 in 1904. The only record found so far that could match.
It’s not an exact science but if or until I find a better match then this is as good as it gets for Hannah Twiddle.
For the Almshouses – “By an Indenture dated 14th December 1863, Elizabeth Westowby gave a piece of land in the Parish of St. Martin’s for a hospital designed to house three women (two single women and one widow) aged over 60. In 2000 the three properties were converted into two larger ones. The almshouses are now owned by Beverley Consolidated Charity.”