Onlinefocus has been contacted by a lady in Australia:
I am trying to find out if records still exist for the Rochford Poor Law Institute. I found out recently that my Dad (who was raised as an orphan) was there at the age of 5 or 6 in 1929. I was hoping to see if the records showed when he was there, for how long and maybe, why?
He was moved from the Institute to Barnardo’s Homes in Essex mid-1929. I have been able to obtain what there is of the Barnardo’s records but his earlier years are a mystery.
So when I saw your web page and that you had such a connection with the Council and the running of the area, I thought you might be able to at least see if the records exist.
We’ll be making some enquiries ourselves into this, but does anyone happen to know much about the Rochford Poor law Institute?
Hi,
Try this site http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ Go to the top left Search … type “Rochford” and you will find some links relating to Rochford and The poor Law Institue etc. If you can’t find what your looking for it might be a guide in the right direction?
Regards,
Alan Warner.
alan.warner@rochfordlofts.com
http://www.rochfordlofts.com
You might also want to ask the Rector of Rochford, The Revd Chris Cousins, if the church has any documents from the period in question relating to benefactions/alms of the church there.
Best wishes, Paul
…and you might even, conceivably, find a Baptism record in the registers, if the gentleman was a young boy and taken into the home…