Before the introduction of State pensions when a man or a woman was no longer able to get work he/she was dependant on their family to care for them, usually one of their children. When there was no help the last point of call was "The Workhouse".

I have included all Boatman found in the Wigan Road Workhouse, Ormskirk regardless of which village they came from as they would most likely of known each other at some point.

The Wigan Road Workhouse, Ormskirk later became an infirmary like most workhouses did. The building is still standing and forms the Trust headquarters of Southport & Ormskirk Hospital's N.H.S Trust, Ormskirk & District General Hospital site. To see more information about The Wigan Road Workhouse and many others throughout GB  including photographs pay a visit to the wonderful Workhouse website see my "links" page. 

Copyright 2005 - 2008.

Boatmen in the Wigan Road Workhouse. 

1871 Census:

John Baldwin  Inmate  Wid  87  Boatman  B/P: Burscough

Thomas Disley      "         "      66  Boatman           Lathom

John Baldwin        "         "    74  Boatman           Rufford

Richard Baldwin   "         "    78  Boatman                 "

James Barrow       "        "    70  Boat mate         Lathom

John Carrington    "        "    74  Boatman                 "

James Sharrock    "        "     69  Boatman               Rufford

TNA(PRO) Ref: RG10/3879, Folio: 143, Pgs: 1-41.

Ormskirk Union Workhouse, Ormskirk, Lancashire.

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1881 Census:

James Sharrock  Inmate  Wid  82  Boatman  B/P: Rufford.

John    Baldwin        "          "    84  Boatman                 "

Thomas Baldwin      "       Unm 54  Boatman          Burscough 

Jane    Mc Coy          "          "    23  Boatwoman             "

TNA(PRO) Ref: RG11/3755 Folio 156, pgs: 1-13.

"Ormskirk Union Workhouse" Wigan Rd, Ormskirk, Lancs.

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1891 Census:

James  Disley  Inmate  Wid   81  Ret Boatman, Barge 

B/P: Lathom

William Disley       "   Single   75  Ret Boatman, Barge

B/P:    Rufford 

Thomas Bridge     "        "       58  Barge Boatman 

B/P: Halsall

Thomas Langton   "        "      36  Barge Boatman 

B/P: Newburgh, (notes: Imbecile).

Henry Lowe          "      Wid   70 Ret Boatman, Barge

B/P: Burscough.

James Wignall      "         "     68 Ret Boatman, Barge

B/P: Rufford.

TNA(PRO) Ref: RG12, Folio 134, Pgs: 1-10

"Ormskirk Union Workhouse" Wigan Rd, Ormskirk, Lancs.

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1901 Census

William Disley,  Hospital Inmate, Single, 86, Ret Canal Boatman, Barge, B/P: Rufford

Richard Disley, Hospital Inmate, Widower, 88, Canal Boatman, Barge, worker, B/P: Burscough.

William Disley (2) Hospital Inmate, Single, 60, Canal Boatman, Barge, B/P: Burscough.

Thomas Baldwin, Inmate, Widower, 73, Ret Canal Boatman, barge, worker, B/P: Lathom.

Thomas Forshaw, Inmate, Widower, 79, Ret Canal Boatman, Barge, B/P: Burscough.

John Peet, Inmate, Widower, 66, Canal Boatman, Barge, B/P: Newburgh.

Isaac Peet, Inmate, Single, 63, Ret Canal Boatman, Barge, B/P: Haskayne.

Margaret Cheetham, Inmate, Widow, 42 Canal Boatwoman, Barge, B/P: Downholland.

Catherine Fairhurst, Inmate, Widow, 58, Canal Boatwoman, Barge, B/P: Burscough.

TNA(PRO) Ref: RG13/3544, Folio 147, Pgs: 1-14

Civil Parish: Ormskirk. Ecc Parish: St Peter & St Paul,  Lancashire.

"Ormskirk Union Workhouse" Wigan Rd, Ormskirk, Lancashire.

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Only one boatman is missing from the 1891 and 1901 census as he was born in Cheshire and I felt this was going out of county as well as the Civil Parish

This concludes Boatmen and Boatwomen in the Workhouse.