The six Roberts children were all admitted, without their parents, on Tuesday, 18 May 1824:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Matthew Roberts 14 years. Left for Newfoundland April 18th 1825, aged 15<\/li>\n
- Marke Roberts 9 years. Left for Newfoundland April 6th 1831, aged 16<\/li>\n
- Luke Roberts 7 years. Left for Newfoundland April 20th 1831, aged 14<\/li>\n
- John Roberts 4 years. Left for Newfoundland April 5th 1833, aged 13<\/li>\n
- Hester Roberts 12 years. 1826, went to Mrs. Mitchells at Hinton St. Mary, aged 14<\/li>\n
- Ann Roberts 2 years. April 1833, went to George Fish, aged 11.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Using Ancestry.co.uk<\/a> to view the Parish Registers for Dorset revealed the baptism records for all six children, confirming their ages as recorded in the Overseer\u2019s accounts. The baptism records also gave their parents names \u2013 John and Elizabeth Roberts \u2013 and their father\u2019s occupation as labourer. The five eldest children where all baptised at Hinton St Mary, but the youngest, Ann, was baptised at Manston.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/files\/2021\/07\/Image-1-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFurther research found John Roberts had married Elizabeth Rowlands at Hinton St Mary 06 December 1808, by licence.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/files\/2021\/07\/Image-2-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThen the most likely reason for the Roberts children being admitted to the workhouse was found. Their mother Elizabeth had been buried at Hinton St Mary on 15 May 1824 \u2013 just three days before the children are recorded in the Overseers account book. It can only be assumed that their father and other family members were unable or unwilling to care for six children.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/files\/2021\/07\/Image-3-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe importance of the Workhouse and poor relief for Dorset labourers cannot be underestimated. Stephen King writes that labourer\u2019s real wages during the late Georgian period did not provide a standard of living consistently above the threshold to avoid the need to rely on poor relief and that over 20% of the population was in receipt of relief in 1821\u00b9. In 1798 labourers weekly wages ranged from 7s 3d to 10s and Dorset was one of three counties with wages so low that they were generally considered insufficient. By 1848 the average weekly wage for a farm labourer had risen to 9s, with 12s being paid in rich districts and 8s in poorer districts\u00b2. When a 4lb or quartern loaf of bread, which ought to feed four people for a day, cost about 9d it is easy to understand why John Roberts, a labourer, may have been unable to house and feed six children.<\/p>\n
David Davies highlights the importance of the poor relief system in finding work for children:<\/p>\n
\u201cchildren in Dorset age 9, 10 or 11 earnt nothing and that it is not until children are at least 11 that they are put out of pauper families to be given an occupation by poor relief\u201d.\u00b3<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
Dorset and the Newfoundland Connection<\/h2>\n
It is most likely that the Roberts boys were sent over to Newfoundland to work in the fishing industry. Matthew as the oldest went first in 1825 – the year Newfoundland was given colonial status within the British Empire. This formally allowed permanent settlements to be established, allowing fishermen to stay during the winter rather than return to England. However, the connection between Newfoundland and the West Country, including the ports of Dorset, can be traced to at least the 1600s. The business trail which led to four workhouse children in Sturminster Newton leaving to work in Newfoundland starts with Poole\u2019s Quaker family, the Whites, who had a headquarters at Trinity, Newfoundland.<\/p>\n
When Joseph White died in 1771 the Newfoundland component of his estate was left to his nephew, John Jeffrey, and five Newfoundland servants or agents, one of whom was Thomas Street. Thomas Street, between 1764 and 1771, had been in charge of two of White\u2019s vessels the Mermaid and the Speedwell. On receipt of his inheritance he moved to Trinity as manger of the Newfoundland end of the partnership he had formed with John Jeffrey. Thomas Street died in 1805 leaving a very successful Newfoundland business to his son John Street. In 1809 John Street, the sole surviving son of Thomas Street, was lost at sea with all hands in the mid Atlantic. It is here that the final link in the business chain connects Sturminster Newton to Newfoundland.<\/p>\n
Thomas Street\u2019s daughter Mary had married Joseph Bird, a clothier of Sturminster Newton. When Joseph Bird\u2019s clothier business failed he turned to the Newfoundland trade establishing a business that lasted until 1844.4<\/sup><\/p>\n
About 1808 the first British settlement in the Bonne Bay area on the west coast of Newfoundland was established at Woody Point. It is likely that this settlement was supported by the firm of Joseph Bird. Joseph Bird had also established a base at Forteau on the Labrador Coast opposite the Northern Peninsular of Newfoundland. Bird had an agent and premises to serve his fishing interests which employed at least six boats and about thirty men. When Joseph Bird died in 1824 his two sons, Thomas Street Bird and Joseph Bird, continued this trade until 1844.5<\/sup><\/p>\n
By 1897 the McAlpine\u2019s Directory was describing Bonne Bay as:<\/p>\n
\u201cA large inlet on the French shore. A number of United States and Nova Scotia schooners visit this bay on account of its herring fishery, which is very productive. A river runs into its bay on which fine lumber is found. The land around this bay is mountainous, and the scenery quite grand. Distant from north head of Bay of Islands 23 miles. Population 336.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/h2>\n
Populating Woody Point, Bonne Bay<\/h2>\n
A monumental inscription provided the link between the Sturminster Newton workhouse records and Woody Point, Newfoundland:<\/p>\n
\u201cMark R ROBERTS died July 19, 1898, age 83 years and 5 months, and his brother John died March 23, 1893 age 72 years. Natives of Sturmister Newton, Dorsetshire, England.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Mark of Sturminster had married Mary Clark of Portugal Cove in 1839 at St Johns, Newfoundland. Mark was described as being literate.<\/p>\n
Mark and Mary appear to have had one child \u2013 John Rowland Roberts who married Amelia Doyle who had eight children. Mark\u2019s grandsons Alexander Rowland and Hector Rowland inherited his property at Crawley\u2019s Point and Jersey Room respectively according to Mark\u2019s will, transcribed below:<\/p>\n
I, Mark Roberts<\/strong>, of Bonne Bay, North West Coast of Newfoundland, Planter, being of sound mind hereby publish and declare my last will and Testament. Revoking and annulling all former dispositions of my property. I give and bequeath my estate and all effects situate and know at Crawley’s Point Bonne Bay to my grandson Alexander Rowland Roberts<\/strong> and his heirs. I give and bequeath my estate and effects situate and known as the Jersey Room, Bonne Bay to my youngest grandson. This property known as the Jersey Room under no consideration is to be sold out of the family. I hereby authorise and command my son John Rowland Roberts<\/strong> to take sole control over the whole of my property until his death. And I hereby appoint my son John Rowland Roberts<\/strong> as the Executor of this my last will and Testament Mark Roberts<\/strong> (LS) Signed, sealed and delivered by the said Mark Roberts<\/strong> in Bonne Bay this twenty third day of March in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety one in the presence of Charles W. Holland<\/strong> Missionary of the Church of England. Solomon Wilton<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Mark may not have felt the need to provide for his son, John Rowland as John Rowland appears to have bought, in April 1871, from William Barnes of Bonne Bay a dwelling house, stage and ground attached for \u00a312. This may be the house where in 1873, the Bonne Bay Post Office was established with John Rowland as postmaster.<\/p>\n
John married Amelia Amy (Emma) Decker of Rocky Harbour about 1840. John and Emma had thirteen children who then produced sixty-six grandchildren giving rise to the belief that the Roberts family populated Woody Point. In 1894 Bonne Bay only had a population of 336 and it is easy to imagine that at least a third were part of the extended Roberts family. Looking through the McAlpine Directories of the 1890s reveals that the men of the Robert\u2019s family worked as fishermen, draper, lobster packers, general dealer and postmaster. Today the Historic Places website of Canada lists three properties which belonged to the Roberts family which survived the 1922 fire that destroyed much of Woody Point \u2013 John William Roberts house; Edward J Roberts house and Roberts store.<\/p>\n
A substantial legacy for two boys from the workhouse in Sturminster Newton, Dorset!<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
\u00b9King, Steven. (2000) Poverty and welfare in England, 1700-1850 : a regional perspective<\/em>. Manchester: Manchester University Press.<\/p>\n
\u00b2Lavergne, de I. (1855). The rural economy of England, Scotland and Ireland<\/em>. London: Blackwood.<\/p>\n
\u00b3Cunningham, Hugh. (1990) The Employment and Unemployment of Children c. 1680-1851. Past and Present.<\/em> 126.<\/em> pp. 122-123. https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/650811<\/a> : accessed 17 December 2018.<\/p>\n
4<\/sup>Dictionary of Canadian Biography. (2021) Street, Thomas.<\/em> W Gordon Hancock. Vol. V (1801-1820). http:\/\/www.biographi.ca\/en\/bio\/street_thomas_5E.html<\/a> accessed 08 February 2021.<\/p>\n
5<\/sup>Fitzhugh, Lynne D (1999) The Labradorians: Voices from the Land of Cain. Breakwater Books.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
This is part one of a guest blog written for Dorset History Centre by Valerie Brenton. You can read part two here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why the Workhouse? We all know that the sons and daughters of Dorset have spread around the world – even a casual wander through the Dorset History Centre online catalogue will reveal the names of countries and territories from all around the globe. Often the records refer to business interests in foreign or empire countries… Read more From Workhouse Records: Sturminster Newton Workhouse to Newfoundland (part 1)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1892,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[82,341,184,109,340],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2489"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1892"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2489"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2542,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2489\/revisions\/2542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}