I live in Ashford and the West London District School has long since been knocked down and the grounds now house Bronzefield Prison. Here is a link to info of the school with photos. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/WestLondonSD/ Lynne On 12/05/2014 11:02, Michael Allbrook wrote: > But perhaps he kept his birt name to emigrate Possibly but I've never found him under either his birth name or his stepfather's.I'm going to pop round to a friend's place and check some of the other ports of entry on Ancestry.com -- Connie <http://oursalmons.wordpress.com/> http://oursalmons.wordpress.com/ 　 ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 14 May 2014 22:31:49 +0100 From: "Pauline Taylor" <ap.taylor@virgin.net> Subject: [MDX] West London District School To: <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <48719874B89148BA9C0CD5948B617A53@PaulinePC> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response 　 　 Following on from Judy's response to Connie's query does anyone know why my grandfather Alfred RUSSELL, born in Fosters Buildings, Whitecross Street in January 1874, would have been an inmate in the West London District School in 1881 when there is an Alfred RUSSELL aged 7 listed as an inmate at the school. This Alfred is the right age but his place of birth is recorded as unknown. There is no other Alfred RUSSELL in 1881 who could be him that I have found. My great grandfather, Samuel Denton RUSSELL was a widower in 1881, and he was living at 196 Whitecross Street with his eldest son, Arthur RUSSELL aged 16. There were two other children not living with him, a daughter, Jane RUSSELL, aged 14, who was I think in domestic service, and another son Samuel RUSSELL, aged 12, who is missing completely. It all seems very strange to me as my great grandfather was in employment as a butcher in 1881 so there was no workhouse connection to explain why my grandfather had been sent away to the residential school. By 1891 the family were together again. If anyone can help I would really appreciate it. Many thanks, Pauline Taylor. In Colchester Britain's First City.