And Some Night-Time Antics in the Countryside
Whilst researching a family for a client, I found the place of death of one lady listed as Panton Place. It was not somewhere I'd heard of, even though the family I was researching were all from the town that I live in. A bit of work came up with the following, 'children born in Wrexham workhouse were not to be held responsible for their situation, and those born there were registered as born at Panton Place to hide their background'.
It appears that Panton Place was not an actual location but rather a euphemism used to discreetly register the births and deaths of those associated with the Wrexham workhouse to avoid any stigma. A Captain Panton was chairman of the board of the Workhouse during the mid 1800s and the use of his name further suggests a deliberate effort to provide a semblance of dignity to those who were born and died in the workhouse.
Wrexham Workhouse
Morality, Motherhood, and a Curious Report
While reading further into Wrexham’s workhouse records, I came across a remarkable report from 1842, which noted that 42 out of 49 single mothers residing there had ended up pregnant as a result of young men visiting female servants at night in rural areas. This wasn’t merely gossip—it was noted in official investigations into poverty and morality.
The revelation caused a stir among neighbouring parishes. In particular, the Congleton Board of Guardians launched a reactionary campaign aimed at preventing such circumstances. They even issued printed warnings to local landowners and farmers, essentially discouraging them from allowing unsupervised interactions between male workers and female servants.
This little-known episode reveals much about Victorian attitudes toward morality, gender roles, and poverty. The strict moral codes of the era were often at odds with the lived realities of rural and working-class life.
It’s discoveries like these that bring history—and our ancestors—alive. In compiling family tree books for friends and clients, I always look for stories that go beyond the names and dates. Knowing that someone in your family may have been born at “Panton Place” tells us far more than a cold fact on a certificate ever could.
It’s a reminder that behind every record is a real person—and sometimes, a society that tried very hard to hide the truth.
