Genealogy Chat

Dear all

I've been researching the Drew family and have come across something a little odd and wondered if anyone had any ideas/suggestions regarding the following:

On the 1901 census Abraham Drew (a gas stoker) is living in Barry Island with his wife, 2 of their children, sister-in-law and 3 boarders from Devon (John Edward Collins aged 16, Mary Ann Collins aged 10 and Ernest Easterbrook Collins aged 6).
The Collins family were in Devon previously living with their mother Jane Collin(g)s and other siblings, their father was a sailor in the merchant navy.
By 1911 John and Mary Collins have disappeared and the Drew family have adopted Ernest.

My question is why were these three young Devonshire siblings living with the Drews in Wales? I can find no connection for the Drew family with Devon, the Collins family or the merchant navy. I assume their mother Jane Collins is no longer around (although haven't found a death record) but what about the father?

Anyone have any ideas/seen this type of thing before?
BW
Emily

Could be many reasons - I have come across a group of siblings in my research (can't remember if they were my relatives or were staying with my relatives) who were staying with an unrelated family and described on the census as school pupils. (Presumably in this case they were boarding away from home but not sleeping on the school premises.)

Or it could be that the Collins family was split up either by the death of the father, the mother Jane or both - or perhaps there just wasn't enough room at home for Jane to keep them all at home. The John Edward and Mary Ann you mentioned would be old enough to help the Drews around the house - could be that they did odd jobs and housework in return for lodgings.

Actually, if the Collins father was in the merchant navy, perhaps he was lost at sea? Or simply away for so long that Jane couldn't keep all of her family on whatever she earnt. Looking at John and Mary's ages in 1901 it is possible that both were married and were starting their own families by 1911.

Dear Kate

Thank you for your suggestions.
I believe that their mother and/or father did die so the children were orphans it just puzzled me that they ended up in Wales as I would have thought the local parish would have been responsible for them.

The eldest Collins sibling, John, was working as a general labourer so could help with upkeep in the family and at 10 years old Mary could have been involved with domestic duties.

Another suggestion I've had is they could have been part of a "boarding out" scheme, an early form of fostering that was quite a lucrative source of income to families and prevented children going into the workhouse.

Thanks again for your help, I'll let you know how I get on
BW
Emily