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A GAGGLE OF GANDERS

  
   
 

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  At the Workhouse Door
   
 

Inside the average Workhouse the regimes were restrictive with set routines. The food allowances were such as to be just enough without being lavish - supper consisted of 1 pint of gruel and 6 ounces of bread (about 170 grams). Workhouses were meant to deter all but the 'really needy'.

  
   
 
 
 

'Casuals' waiting for Admission at the Workhouse Door

(date and Workhouse unknown)

  
   
 
 

One of the causes of death is given as Epilepsy and certainly it would have been inadvisable for Henry Robert to have continued driving a horse and cart if he had had this condition long.

The records of the Christchurch Workhouse, Gray Street, Southwark in whose Infirmary he died on 22 Feb 1918 aged 62 show Henry Robert admitted and discharged no less than 6 times between December 1915 and 1918 (see Appendix I). The Register of Admissions show he was put on the 'Aged or Infirm Diet' and 60 to 62 seems too young to be considered 'Aged'.

Dying in the Workhouse Infirmary has meant information useful to family history purposes has been denied us (eg. name of relative usually 'in attendance' or reporting the death). We don't know if his son Harry had any knowledge of his father's pending death or even if he was in contact with him. Harry at this time was probably at his Regiment's Training HQ on the Isle of Wight.

A further comment on Henry Robert is to note how chillingly the Poor Law Guardians required their staff to record deaths. Henry Robert's is entered under the 'How Discharged' column in the Register of Discharges.

  
   
 
 

No grave can be found as yet but he is definitely not buried in Nunhead Cemetery as his father was, nor in the Camberwell Old Cemetery.

PART 6
HARRY GANDER
1886 - 1932

6.1 CHILDHOOD AND MARRIAGE

s Harry is within living relative's recollections we know a great deal more about Harry's life and movements than his father's.

Even so there are still mysterious periods in his history; as already mentioned in Part 5.2 Harry's birth would appear to have had a cloud over it. Without sight of his birth certificate we cannot even be certain if he was named Harry or Henry*. The two names are often interchangeable even today, especially in London. To distinguish him from his father the son is here called 'Harry' and those records we have indicate he preferred this anyway, certainly when young.
   
 
 

* Searches for his birth certificate have been made under both first names and also for Harry or Henry TILL or SMITH.

  
   
 
 

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A GAGGLE OF GANDERS

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46