In 2020, Tom Locke wrote an article entitled, Wickhamford Pauper Burials. He began by explaining about the administration of poor relief, and the formation of Evesham Poor Law Union in 1836 which led to the building of Evesham Union Workhouse in 1837.
An examination of Badsey parish registers and census returns reveals that a number of Badsey residents also ended up in the workhouse, either through force of circumstance or through old age. Details of these people are listed below (in order of death), with information on their life before entering the Union.
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Martha Mustin, 68 (bur 8th Jul 1858): Martha Mustin was born at Badsey in 1791, the illegitimate daughter of Judith Mustin. At the time of the 1841 census, Martha lived with her mother in a cottage (since demolished) on High Street, Badsey; both worked as silk winders at Badsey Silk Mill. Judith Mustin died in 1844 and, by 1851, Martha was living alone. The Silk Mill had closed and Martha was described as “Pauper formerly employed in silk mills”. Some time after this, Martha was admitted to Evesham Union where she died in July 1858; she was buried at Badsey.
Elizabeth Tandy (née Hicks, later Edginton), 58 (bur 21st Jan 1862): Elizabeth Tandy was born at Westcote, Gloucestershire, the daughter of William Hicks, and baptised there on 17th July 1804. In 1823, she married John Edgington at Westcote. The couple settled in Badsey, which was John’s village of birth, and had ten children (five of whom died in childhood). John died in 1843, aged 39. Elizabeth’s youngest child was just a year old at the time. In 1850 at Badsey, Elizabeth married widower, John Tandy. At the time of the 1851 census, Elizabeth was living in Badsey with her step-daughter, Charlotte, who was John Tandy’s youngest daughter; where John was is unknown. By 1861, Elizabeth, described as married, was residing in Evesham Union. She died there in 1862 and was buried at Badsey.
William Ballard, 72 (bur 26 Sep 1864): William Ballard was born at Badsey in 1791. He married Mary Anne and they had five children, all born at Badsey between 1815 and 1829. At the time of the 1841 census, William was described as Parish Clerk, and he lived with his wife and two youngest sons, Edmund and Charles; there was also a servant living in the household. But things had changed by 1851. Mary Anne had died in 1845 and William and his youngest son, Charles, were lodging with the Knight family; both worked as a farmer’s labourer. By 1861, William and son, Edmund, were lodging with the Harriss family at The Leys, Bretforton Road. Some time after this, William was admitted to Evesham Union where he died in September 1864 and was buried at Badsey; 37 years later, his son, Edmund, was also to die in the Union.
Joseph Steward, 73 (30th Oct 1866): Joseph Steward was born at Badsey in about 1793, the eldest son of Thomas and Sarah Steward. Joseph never married. At the time of the 1841 and 1851 census, he was lodging at Wickhamford, working as an agricultural labourer. By 1861 he was a resident of the Union, where he died in October 1866; he was buried at Badsey.
Charles Hartwell, 80 (bur 21st Jan 1868): Charles Hartwell was born at Badsey, the third of eight children of George and Mary Hartwell; he was baptised at St James’ Church, Badsey, on 5th March 1789. Charles married Maria Collett at Badsey in November 1814. They had ten children born at Badsey between 1812 and 1838. Charles and family lived in a cottage at Sharps Row (demolished in the 1930s). At the time of the 1851 census he was described as a pauper farm labourer. Maria died in 1857 and, by 1861, Charles was living with his son, George and family at The Leys, Bretforton Road. Some time after this he was admitted to Evesham Union where he died in January 1868; he was buried at Badsey.
Joseph Simpson, 78 (bur 15th Mar 1868): Joseph Simpson was born at Badsey in 1790, the second of seven children and eldest son of William Simpson, a baker, and his wife, Hannah. He was baptised in St James’ Church on 6th November 1790. Joseph’s father, William, died in 1807 and his mother married again in 1813 to Antony Smith. Hannah died in 1836. By the terms of his father’s will, Joseph Simpson inherited the house and land after his mother’s death: “all that my freehold messuage, tenement and premises wherein I now live with the garden, yard, barn and orchard”. By the time of the 1841 census, Joseph, initially carrying on the bakery business, was the only member of this branch of the family still in Badsey. He lived alone at what is now 18 High Street. At some time during the 1840s, he sold the property to siblings Sarah and William Byrd. His father’s will stated that he had to pay sums of money to his siblings, and so he probably needed to sell the property in order to be able to raise the money. Joseph was living in more reduced circumstances in 1851, working as an agricultural labourer and lodging with Sarah Harris. By 1861, Joseph was lodging with George and Eliza Dones. He died at Evesham Union in March 1868, aged 78.
Sarah Moisey (née Glover), 37 (bur 7th Jun 1868) & Elizabeth Moisey, 10 months (bur 24th Jul 1868): Sarah Moisey was born Sarah Glover in about 1831 at Aston Somerville, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Glover. The Glover family had moved to Badsey by 1851 when they lived at Bowers Hill. Sarah gave birth to an illegitimate son, Alfred, at Welland in 1855. At the time of the 1851 census, Sarah and Alfred were back at Bowers Hill, Badsey, living with her parents. In October 1863, Sarah married Thomas Moisey at Badsey. They had three children: Charles (1863), Ann (1865) and Elizabeth (1867-1868). Unfortunately, Sarah died in June 1868 in Evesham Union, aged 37. One month later, her ten-month-old daughter, Elizabeth Moisey, also died in Evesham Union. Both were buried at Badsey. Sarah’s widowed husband then married again in 1870.
Henry Harris, 6 (bur 24th March 1871): Henry Harris was born at Badsey in 1864, the fourth child of Joseph Harris and his wife, Joyce (née Smith). Henry’s eldest sister, Fanny, was born deaf and dumb. Henry died aged 6 at Evesham Union in March 1871, just a fortnight before the census. What caused Henry to be admitted to the workhouse is unknown but, when the census took place on 2nd April, the family was split up. Another child called Henry was born in 1873 at Bretforton.
Samuel Barnes, 75 (bur 6 Jul 1873): Samuel Barnes was born at Winchcombe in 1798, the son of John and Mary Barnes. He married Charlotte Hart in 1825 and they had three children all born at Winchcombe. Charlotte died in 1843 and the family had dispersed by 1851, though Samuel’s whereabouts are unknown. Bu the time of the 1961 census he had moved to Badsey and was lodging in the High Street (at what is now The Spar) with the Daniels family. Following the death of widow, Mary Daniels, he then went to lodge with the Teal family at Silk Mill Cottages where he was in 1871. Samuel died at Evesham Union in July 1873 and was buried at Badsey.
John Ricketts, 42 (bur 12th Sep 1873): John Ricketts was born at Ashton under Hill, Gloucestershire, in about 1830, the son of John and Hannah Ricketts. At the time of the 1851 census, he was living with his parents and siblings at Elmley Castle. Whilst John was employed as an agricultural labourer, both his father and brother were described as “Pauper Ag Lab”. John married Celia Staite at Cropthorne in 1852. Between 1853 and 1866, they had four children, all born at Cropthorne. In 1861, John was working as a shepherd at Cropthorne. By 1871 John was living with his wife, Sarah (sic – should be Celia), and two youngest children at Aldington. In August 1871, Celia Ricketts died at The Parks, Aldington, aged 35. Some time after this, John Ricketts was admitted to Evesham Union where he died in September 1873; he was buried at Badsey. By 1881, his son, John, was detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure in Worcester Prison, Salt Lane, Worcester, and his daughter was attending an Industrial School in Madresfield.
Elizabeth Knight (née Pratt), 85 (bur 23rd Dec 1875): Elizabeth Knight was born at Salford, Warwickshire, in about 1793. She married Joseph Knight at Wickhamford in 1811 and had eight children. Joseph died at Badsey in 1847. In 1851, Elizabeth lived in a cottage in The Alley with her youngest son, Edward, and her granddaughter, 12-year-old Mary Ann Knight (the illegitimate daughter of Anne Knight), plus two lodgers. Elizabeth lived there alone in 1861 but, by 1871, described as Annuitant, she was living in Offenham with her youngest son, Edward. Elizabeth died at Evesham Union in 1875 and was buried at Badsey.
Richard Edenburgh, 76 (bur 10th Feb 1876), & Hannah Edenburgh (bur 18th Mar 1877): Richard Edenburgh (or Edenburg, Edinburgh or Edingborough, as the name is variously appears) was born in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, about 1805. He married Hannah, who was born in North Littleton about 1816. They had a son, William, supposed to have been born in Badsey about 1835, but there is no record of his baptism and the family does not appear in the 1841 census. By 1851, they lived at Claybrook Farm Cottages, Badsey; both Richard and his son were farm labourers. By 1861, Richard was described as a farmer of 28 acres and they lived on Mill Lane, Badsey. His only son, William, by now married and with children, died in 1869. Richard Edinburgh died in February 1876, aged 76, and Hannah died in March 1877, aged 66; they were both at Evesham Union at the time but were buried at Badsey.
William Wheatley, 83 (bur 27th Oct 1880): William Wheatley was born at Saintbury, Gloucestershire, in 1798, the sixth of 11 children of William and Lydia Wheatley. He married Elizabeth Morris in July 1821 at St James Church, Badsey, and they made their home in the village. They already had a son, William, who was baptised a few days later on 24th July. Unfortunately, William died a fortnight later, and was buried on 7th August after a coroner’s inquest. William and Elizabeth went on to have eight more children between the years 1822 and 1841. They lived in several different locations in Badsey. By 1861, all William and Elizabeth’s children had left home. William and Elizabeth were living separately at the time, as Elizabeth had gone to work as a nurse for farmer Robert Hambler and his family, whilst William had lodgers staying with him. In 1871, they were living on Old Post Office Lane. Elizabeth died in November 1878. It was probably shortly after this that William was admitted to Evesham Union where he died in October 1880; he was buried at Badsey. William’s son, Samuel, also died at Evesham Union, nearly 24 years later and was buried at Wickhamford.
John Keen, 67 (bur 21st Jun 1881): John Keen was born at Elmley Castle, Worcestershire, in 1814, the elder of two children of Thomas Keen, a miller, and his wife, Lydia (née Allington). At some stage in the 1820s or 1830s, John moved with his family to Aldington, where he helped his father to run the mill. John married Badsey-born Elizabeth Ballard at Badsey in 1839. Their daughter, Ann, was baptised at Badsey in June 1840. At the time of the 1841 census, they lived in a house attached to the mill, together with John’s parents and younger brother, Henry. John remained the miller at Aldington for some years but, by 1871, John had had a change of career and had moved to Badsey. He was amongst the first people in the village to take up market gardening. At the time of the 1881 census, John Keen was an inmate at Evesham Union and his wife, Elizabeth, was working as a market gardening labourer in the home of John Hiden, at 59 Bewdley Street, Evesham. John died in Evesham Union in 1881, aged 67, and was buried at Badsey. His widow died in Powick Lunatic Asylum in 1886 and was buried at Powick.
Mary Gould, 88 (bur 16th Aug 1881): Mary Gould was born at Long Compton, Warwickshire, in about 1797. She married William Gould and they had a daughter, Mary Anne, born at Aldington in 1832 and remained in Aldington throughout married life. William Gould died in 1878, aged 73, and Mary died at Evesham Union in August 1881, aged 88. She had not been in the workhouse for long because, at the time of the 1881 census, she had been staying with her daughter, Mary Ann Marshall and family at Offenham. Mary was buried at Badsey on 16th August 1881.
John Roberts, 76 (bur 21st Sep 1881): John Roberts was born about 1805 at Offenham, the son of Richard Roberts. He married Caroline and they had three sons and two daughters who were all born at Badsey. Caroline died in September 1849 when her youngest child was just two years old. Four months later, their 14-year-old son, John, died, then the next month, ten-year-old Sarah died. The Roberts family lived at Rose Cottage, Chapel Street, Badsey. In 1851, widower John lived there with his three surviving children, Richard, Ellen and Charles. By 1871, John was working as a baker in High Street, Evesham, living in the home of John Blakeman, miller and baker. He was back in Badsey in April 1881 at the time of the census, living with his son, Richard, and family; he was described as a retired baker. A few months later, John died at Evesham Union in September 1881 and was buried at Badsey.
William Rush, 85 (bur 2nd Mar 1884) & Mary Rush (née Bayliss), 83 (bur 5th Dec 1883): William Rush was born about 1799 at Idbury, Oxfordshire, the son of Thomas Rush, a labourer. In October 1855, William married Mary Bayliss at Badsey (Mary was born at Bengeworth in about 1805, the daughter of John Bayliss). He was described as a widower, but no details of his first marriage are known, or where he was living prior to this. William was an agricultural labourer and they lived at Aldington, where they were to be found at the time of the 1861, 1871 and 1881 census. Some time after this, both William and Mary were admitted to Evesham Union. Mary died in December 1883 and William died just over two months later in the workhouse. They were both buried at Badsey.
Robert Sylvester, 79 (bur 8th Sep 1885): Robert Sylvester (or Silvester as his name also appears) was born at Cleeve Prior, the son of John and Elizabeth Silvester; he was baptised at Cleeve Prior on 29th October 1806. Robert married Elizabeth Oldaker of Badsey in 1838 at Worcester. They went to live at Cleeve Prior and had a son, Charles, who died in infancy. At the time of the 1841 census, Robert was described as an Innholder at Cleeve Prior; they employed one female servant. Elizabeth’s whereabouts in 1851 and 1861 are unknown. By 1871, Robert Sylvester was boarding with Joseph Clements in Badsey, working as a Gardener. Elizabeth may have been visiting with her sister. Robert and Elizabeth were both in Badsey in 1881, Robert working as an Agricultural Labourer; they had a schoolmistress boarding with them. Robert died at Evesham Union in 1885 and was buried at Badsey. Elizabeth may also have died in the Union. She died in March 1891, a few weeks before the census. Her residence at the time of death was given simply as Evesham, but she was buried at Badsey.
William Williams, 60 (bur 9th Oct 1885): William Williams was born about 1825 at Leominster, Herefordshire. He married Lucy Young in 1849 in the Evesham area. William was an agricultural labourer. In 1851, he and Lucy were living at Cropthorne. By 1853, when their daughter, Ann, was born, they were living at Chastleton. Eliza was born in 1857 at Bengeworth and, by 1861 they were living at Elmley Castle. By May 1866, the family was living in Badsey when Lucy sadly died, aged 36. In 1871, William and his 13-year-old daughter, Eliza, were lodging with the Teal family at Silk Mill Cottages. William was still with the Teals at Silk Mill Cottages in 1881. Some time after this he was admitted to Evesham Union where he died in October 1885; he was buried at Badsey.
George Bennett, 85 (bur 20th Apr 1886): George Bennett was born at Fladbury in about 1801. He never married and worked all his life as an agricultural labourer. He had moved to Badsey by 1881 when he was living with John and Mary A Hardiman on Mill Lane. George died at Evesham Union in April 1886 and was buried at Badsey.
Benjamin Pethard, 76 (bur 26th Mar 1887): Benjamin Pethard was born at Aldington in 1808, the second of seven children of John Pethard and his wife, Hannah (née Farmer). Benjamin married Elizabeth Clarke at Throckmorton in 1827. They lived at Offenham and had five daughters, two of whom died in childhood. At the Worcester County Sessions on 1st July 1839, Benjamin was tried for two convictions of larceny and was given two months for each conviction. A prison register for 1841 reveals that Benjamin was imprisoned again, this time for sheep stealing. He was convicted on 4th January 1841 and had to serve 15 years. The Gaoler’s report said: “Character very bad, twice convicted of felony.” Elizabeth died at Offenham in 1857 when her husband was still in prison. At the time of the 1881 census, Benjamin was staying with his younger brother, John, in Badsey. Benjamin ended his days in Evesham Union in 1887 but was buried at Badsey.
William Tricker, 88 (5th Aug 1891): William Tricker was born at Cockfield, Suffolk, about 1804. According to Arthur Savory in “Grain and Chaff from an English Manor”, he came to Worcestershire originally with a farmer who migrated from Suffolk. William Tricker was living in Worcestershire by 1841 when he and his wife, Susannah, lived at Church Lench. Susannah died in 1843 and, the following year, William married Mary Harris on 9th October at Badsey. William and Mary lived all their married life in Badsey, until Mary’s death in 1877; William then lodged with Samuel and Amelia Butler at Elm Cottage in Aldington where he was living in 1881. William spent the last years of his life in Evesham Union where he died in August 1891; he was buried at Badsey.
James Pugh, 54 (bur 5th Nov 1891): James Pugh was born at Aldington in 1835, the fifth of seven children of John and Sarah Pugh. James never married. At the time of the 1861 census, James was at home in Aldington with his mother; he was working as a labourer. Two years later, his younger brother, John, was accidentally drowned in Aldington Brook. The Pugh family had left Aldington by 1871. Nothing more is known about James until 1891 when he was an inmate in the workhouse. A notice of his death appeared in The Evesham Journal: “PUGH – November 3, at the Union Workhouse, Hampton, James Pugh, formerly of Aldington, aged 54 years.” He was buried at Badsey two days later.
Ann Moisey (née Smith), 87 (bur 30 Mar 1895): Ann Smith was born at Strand-on-the-Green, Middlesex, in about 1808, the daughter of James Smith, a labourer. In May 1850 at Badsey, she married widower William Moisey, who had six surviving children, ranging in ages from nine to 27. In 1851, William and Ann lived in a cottage in Brewers Lane, Badsey, with two of William’s sons. They continued to live in Badsey once their children had left home; William was a carpenter and Ann was a dressmaker. William Moisey died in 1877, aged 84. At the time of the 1881 and 1891 census, Ann lived at Mill Bridge Lane, boarding with 38-year-old widow, Sarah Hopkins, a laundress. Some time after 1891, Ann became an inmate at Evesham Union. She died there in March 1895 and was buried at Badsey.
Charles Hartwell, 60 (bur 14th Dec 1900): Charles Hartwell was born at Badsey, the eldest of six children of William and Sarah Hartwell; he was baptised at St James’ Church, Badsey, on 6th December 1840. Charles never married and remained living in the parental home for most of his life. At the time of the 1861 and 1871 census, he worked as an agricultural labourer but, by 1881, he was described as “Handicap: Idiot”. In 1891 he was working as an agricultural labourer, but described as “idiot from childhood”. Charles’ father died in 1889 and his mother in 1893. It was presumably after his mother’s death that he was admitted to Evesham Union. He died there in December 1900 and was buried at Badsey. Charles’ brother, John, was also an inmate of the Union in 1901.
Edmund Ballard, 77 (bur 7th Aug 1901): Edmund Ballard was born at Badsey in 1826, the fourth of five children of William and Mary Anne Ballard. He never married and spent all his life working as a farm labourer, either in Badsey or elsewhere. At the time of the 1891 census, he was working as a farm servant for the Parker family at Manor House Farm, Bretforton. By the time of the 1901 census, he had been admitted to Evesham Union, where he died in August 1901 and was buried at Badsey; 37 years earlier his father, William Ballard, had also died in the Union. An article in the local press, entitled “Burial Sensation near Evesham”, spoke of the sounds which were heard coming from the coffin.
William Crane, 85 (bur 15th Aug 1902): William was born at Wickhamford in 1817, the son of William and Mary Crane, and was baptised on 20th May 1817 in the Church of St John the Baptist, Wickhamford. William married Sarah Faulkner at Wickhamford in 1840. They had three sons and two daughters, born between 1841 and 1853 at Wickhamford. Sarah died at Wickhamford in 1856 leaving William with five young children. At the time of the 1861 census, 12-year-old Eliza was keeping house for her father and brothers, as Mary, the eldest, was living and working in Bengeworth. In 1871, William was still in Wickhamford with his son, John, and daughter, Eliza, by now married to William Knight. Some time between 1871 and 1881, Eliza and William Knight moved to live in Badsey at Silk Mill Mill Cottages, and William went with them. He still lived there in 1891 but, by 1901, he was an inmate of Evesham Union. He died there in August 1902 and was buried at Badsey. William was the brother-in-law of Elizabeth Cooper and Maria Dorrell who also died at Evesham Union.
Elizabeth Cooper (née Faulkner), 85 (bur 21st Oct 1903): Elizabeth Cooper was born Elizabeth Faulkner at Aldington, the second of seven daughters of John and Elizabeth Faulkner; she was baptised at Badsey in October 1817. In 1855 she married widower, Joseph Cooper. In 1861 they lived at Aldington, both working as labourers, and in 1871 at Badsey; Elizabeth was still an agricultural labourer whilst Joseph was a thatcher. Joseph died in 1878 and, by 1881, widow Elizabeth was a market gardener living on what is now Old Post Office Lane, Badsey, with a lodger. By 1891, her widowed sister, Maria Pitt, was living with her, plus a lodger. Elizabeth died at Evesham Union in 1903 and was buried at Badsey.
Charles Crisp, 79 (bur 3rd May 1904): Charles Crisp was born at Badsey in 1824, the fifth of nine children of Stephen and Elizabeth Crisp; he was baptised in St James’ Church, Badsey, on 10th November 1824. Charles never married. He lived for most of his life in Badsey in the house which is now No 5 Old Post Office Lane, firstly with his widowed father, and then with his older sister, Eliza, who was also unmarried. Charles was working as a servant in 1841, as a farm labourer in 1851 and 1861, and as a mason from 1871-1891. Following the death of Eliza in 1895, Charles went to live with his married brother, Alfred, at Bretforton, where he was living at the time of the 1901 census. Some time after this, Charles was admitted to Evesham Union where he died in May 1904; he was buried at Badsey.
Maria Dorrell (née Faulkner), 81 (bur 27 Jan 1914) & John Dorrell, 86 (bur 9 Jan 1919): Maria Dorrell was born Maria Faulkner at Wickhamford, the youngest of seven daughters of John and Elizabeth Faulkner; she was baptised at Wickhamford in June 1832. Maria was eight years old when her mother died. Maria was still living at home in 1851 with her widowed father, but later that year she married Peter Hardman and went to live in his home village of Bromsberrow, near Newent, Gloucestershire. They had five sons and one daughter, born in the years 1857-1866. Peter, an agricultural labourer, died at Bromsberrow in 1867. It was then that Maria’s life took a downward spiral. Maria found it difficult to look after her children and left her children chargeable to the Newent Union at Newent on 28th January 1870. She appeared before the Newent Petty Sessions on 21st February. She was sentenced to imprisonment in Gloucester Gaol and one month’s hard labour. A newspaper report in The Gloucestershire Chronicle revealed that the Board of Guardians had wanted to deal liberally with the family but, when they discovered she was living with a man to whom she was not married, they instituted proceedings. Maria again appeared before the Petty Sessions in January 1871, charged with misconduct in the Union Workhouse; she was described as a pauper and sentenced to ten days’ hard labour. Maria’s whereabouts at the time of the 1871 census on 2nd April are unknown, but her five sons were still in the Workhouse, and her daughter, Jane, was staying with her sister, Elizabeth Cooper, in Badsey. Maria appeared at the Petty Sessions for a third time in July 1871, charged with leaving her children chargeable to the Newent Union at Bromsberrow on 6th February 1871. She was described as 5’ 3” tall, had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, had lost two top teeth and had a wart on her left eyebrow. Maria was imprisoned and was sentenced to two calendar months’ hard labour, to expire on 30th September. By 1881, the children were all working and living in various different locations. No more is known about Maria until 1891 when she appears in the census as living with her widowed sister (14 years her senior), Elizabeth Cooper, in Badsey. Maria’s name is given as Maria Pitt and she is described as a widow. There is no record of her having married a Mr Pitt, so perhaps this was the name of the man she was living with in 1870. In the last quarter of 1891, Maria married Evesham-born John Dorrell in Fulham, London, where he had been working. At some stage after marriage they returned to live in Worcestershire and, at the time of the 1901 census, were living in Badsey at The Leys with Maria’s sister, Elizabeth. Both John and Maria were described as market gardeners working on their own account. Shortly after this, sister Elizabeth was admitted to the workhouse where she died in 1903 and, by 1911, both Maria and her husband, John, were also inmates of Evesham Union Workhouse. Maria died in January 1914 and John died five years later. In both instances, their address at the time of death was given as Badsey, but it is assumed this should have said Evesham Union. They were both buried at Badsey.
Former Badsey residents buried elsewhere
- The 1851 census lists Hannah Dones, widow, aged 71, a pauper, born at Badsey. Looking back at the Evesham Union census returns for 1841, Hannah was also resident in the workhouse then. Hannah (née Jelfs) was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Jelfs and had been baptised at Badsey on 20th Jun 1779. She married Thomas Dones at Badsey on Boxing Day 1816. Their first-born son, Samuel, died in infancy. A second son, also named Samuel, was born at Badsey in 1820. Thomas Dones presumably died some time between 1820 and 1841, which caused Hannah to be sent to the workhouse. Her only son, Samuel, was living and working in Dumbleton in 1841. Hannah spent the rest of her life in the workhouse, dying there in the first quarter of 1861 (thus before the census), but it is not known where she was buried.
- The 1911 census lists George Morris, a single man aged 67, born at Badsey and formerly a garden labourer, as being resident in the workhouse. George was the son of William and Ann Morris and had been born at Badsey in 1842. By 1861, the Morris family had moved to Offenham. George never married and was still living with his parents in Offenham in 1881, working as a general labourer. His father died in 1889 and his mother was boarding with Mary Mason in Offenham in 1891, but it is not known where George was. His whereabouts in 1901, likewise, are unknown. By 1911, as we know, he was in the workhouse. George died at Evesham Union in 1912 and was buried at Offenham on 20th April 1912.
- Also listed as being resident in the workhouse in 1911 was John Malin, aged 59, a widowed farm labourer. His place of birth was given as Badsey, but in fact he was born in Offenham, although his family did move to Badsey in the 1850s; thus he spent most of his childhood and early adulthood in Badsey. John married Susannah Norton at Mickleton in 1876. They had nine children and moved around quite a bit, John taking jobs on farms. In about 1889, they moved to Badsey where their youngest two children were born. John was listed as a market gardener in the 1891 census. This presumably did not work out well, as the family left the village at the end of 1892. By 1901 they were living in Kings Norton where John was a cattleman on a farm. Susannah died in 1904 and it is thought that John returned to the Evesham area. By 1911, as we know, he was living in the workhouse. He was still there in 1921 but, by now, his place of birth was correctly listed as Offenham. It is not known when he died, or where he was buried.
- The 1921 census lists William Robbins, a single man aged 69 years 9 months as being resident in the workhouse. He had been born at Badsey and lost both legs. William was the son of William and Hannah Knight and had indeed grown up in Badsey but, after the death of his parents, in 1881 and 1883 respectively, he went to live in Bretforton. In 1891, he was to be found lodging with widow Mary A Pitts, and her teenage children. By 1901, he was living with sister, Eliza Stanley, and her husband, Samuel, and their family in Bretforton. The 1911 census, when he was still living with the Stanleys, described him as “crippled from 11 years old, lost both legs”. By 1921, as we know, he was in the workhouse. It had probably become too much for Eliza, now almost 80, to care for her brother, particularly after the death of Samuel in 1917. William died in 1927 in the Union Infirmary and was buried at Bretforton on 4th January 1927.
Maureen Spinks, April 2024