Mary Charlotte (Quick) Avery in an English workhouse in 1871

These images are from Ancestry.com showing Mary Avery with four of her young children in an English workhouse.  Ten years earlier she and her husband Charles were together.  Now she is in a workhouse and Charles is in Saginaw, Michigan, USA (1850 U.S. Census).  Ten years later they are reunited and living in Huron County, Michigan, USA very near several of her siblings.  All of the children listed in the 1871 census with her in the workhouse were listed in the 1880 U.S. census. I've posted a tract written by Charles Dickens that describes an 1850 English workhouse that may give a glimpse into the living conditions for Mary and her children during this desperate time.

What does it mean to live in a workhouse? Read on.

Charles Dickens "A Walk in a Workhouse" http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/poorlaw.html What is a workhouse?  Read this from Wisegeek. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-workhouse.htm Excerpt from following link about Newton Abbot: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Newton_Abbot   The Workhouse The original Newton Abbot poorhouse was based in East Street, and the cellar of the Devon Arms was used as the oakum. Oakum Oakum is a preparation of tarred fibre used in shipbuilding, for caulking or packing the joints of timbers in wooden vessels and the deck planking of iron and steel ships, as well as cast iron plumbing applications...  picking room—where paupers were assigned the unpleasant job of untwisting old rope to provide oakum, used to seal the seams of wooden boats. Newton Bushel had its own poorhouse, not far from present day Dyrons. The 1834 Poor Law Act Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 sometimes abbreviated to PLAA was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system. It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the Poor... required changes and incorporation, so in 1839, a new workhouse was built in East Street and was used to house paupers from the surrounding areas. Over time, the workhouse became more of a hospital for the sick, infirm, and aged poor. By 1890 there were nearly 400 inmates, and reports of cruel treatment. A new infirmary was built, and during the wars some of the buildings were used as a military hospital. By 1950, the workhouse buildings were incorporated into the present-day hospital.

Passenger lists of ships that brought John and Ida's families from England

Information on John D Weeks military career

http://michiganpatchwork.terapad.com/resources/10040/assets/documents/John D Weeks.pdf

John Denison Weeks  Born: 15 Dec 1846 - Cheddar, England, Died: 13 Feb 1922 - Bay Port, Huron County, Michigan, USA John's parents were Reuben and Ann Weeks, both born in England.  Reuben emigrated to the United States in 1852 with son Charles.  Ann followed two years later in 1854 with the other Children. John enlisted in the Union Navy 31 Mar 1864 and served until 04-15-1865. John married Ida Helyer 04 Mar 1882.  Witnessed by George Helyer and Ella Helyer

Ida Elizabeth Helyer Weeks

Ida Elizabeth Helyer   Born:  26 Apr 1865 - Fairhaven Twp, Huron County, Michigan, USA   Died:  09 Apr 1926 - Fairhaven Twp, Huron County, Michigan, USA Ida's parents were Thomas Helyer and Elizabeth W. Quick, both born in England