Ishmael and Hagar

Elma

Elma

Well-Known Member
I have recently been searching through some workhouse records 1906-1911. These are from St John's Road Workhouse, Islington (Admission and Discharges).

What caught my eye and I have not seen it before was two words written occasionally before a persons name. I wondered if other people have noticed this and what they thought the significance? I wonder if other workhouses use these phrases? Ishmael and Hagar.
 

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I’ve come across Ishmael Ward at Islington Workhouse - my late husband's great great grandfather died in there in 1887 :(
 
Bay Horse said:
:( I don't think it would have been a very nice place.
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I think it was probably better than a lot of workhouses. Peter Higginbotham’s Workhouse site has a great description of the whole establishment entitled “A Visit to Islington Workhouse” written by a Mrs Emma Brewer which was published in ‘Sunday at Home’ magazine in 1889. It mentions the names of the wards and why they were so named.
Code: 
https://www.workhouses.org.uk/Brewer/Islington.shtml
 
AnnB said:
I think it was probably better than a lot of workhouses. Peter Higginbotham’s Workhouse site has a great description of the whole establishment entitled “A Visit to Islington Workhouse” written by a Mrs Emma Brewer which was published in ‘Sunday at Home’ magazine in 1889. It mentions the names of the wards and why they were so named.
Code: 
https://www.workhouses.org.uk/Brewer/Islington.shtml
Click to expand...
I have just come across this site and read it with interest. It seems a pleasant enough place, whether that is true, I have no idea. A great description though. The older women seem happy enough in their work. Not so much the men but I found it interesting that punishment for the men was sitting in the superintendent’s office and doing nothing, nothing at all not even speaking. Not many went back for another punishment. I also found it interesting that their meat was imported from Australia. I know we had a refrigerated/frozen food industry even back that far started by Thomas Mort.
 
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Peter Higginbotham's site and his books on my shelf have long been my first port of call for anything Workhouse. Those small bits of info have been invaluable.

Archie's Mum said:
I also found it interesting that their meat was imported from Australia. I know we had a refrigerated/frozen food industry even back that far started by Thomas Mort.
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Cheaper, I expect, than homegrown. My great grandad was a master butcher and he sold mostly imported meat (it made it more affordable to the masses, apparently).
 
AnnB said:
I think it was probably better than a lot of workhouses. Peter Higginbotham’s Workhouse site has a great description of the whole establishment entitled “A Visit to Islington Workhouse” written by a Mrs Emma Brewer which was published in ‘Sunday at Home’ magazine in 1889. It mentions the names of the wards and why they were so named.
Code: 
https://www.workhouses.org.uk/Brewer/Islington.shtml
Click to expand...
What a fascinating article thank you. I thought seeing the names Ishmael and Hagar were given to the person and that concerned me, as both Hagar and her son Ishmael were known as outcasts. I am not sure I feel any better knowing it was the ward's name. I don't think those asylum wards were just named with any Biblical name!
 
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