Glasgow Poor Books, Sofija

I'm just now getting back to the poor relief records for my great-grandmother and her sister-in-law that I found last September at the Glasgow City Archive. The records confirmed that my great-grandfather had indeed been sent away under the Anglo-Russian Military Convention. But I didn't get around to posting the other information that these documents contained.

My great-grandmother, Sofija (aka Zose, Yose, Jessie, Sophie), made the application on 9 Oct 1917, just one month after she had married and about 10 days after Kazimiras was sent away. The initial application was declined.

Except he didn't "leave" her. He was sent away.

Application

Application "refused, able bodied, no dependents".

Just a month later, however, an addendum was attached indicating that she was pregnant with my great-uncle Kazimiras Jr, and the application was approved for a payment of 8/- per week (that's 8 shillings).

Nature of applicant's "infirmity": pregnant.

8/- per week, Aliens Roll

The application also provides some information about Kazimiras. He was sent away on 29 Sept 1917, and had been earning £3 per week as a coal miner at the time. It says "From Russia 6yrs", which I take to mean he had been in Scotland for 6 years (possibly explaining why I couldn't find him on the 1911 census). The way things are written is confusing, but it switches back to Sofija and explains what she pays to lodge with her mother and father (must be the case because it also confirms that Kazimiras's parents are "both in Russia").* She is residing with her mother and father and 3 children (her siblings, Annie, Peter, and Margaret). It states that they paid 18/9 (18 shillings, 9 pence) rent per month, and she paid 9/- (9 shillings) per week for board and lodging. Also noted is that she was a member of the Pearl Society, which I was told is usually noted because there was an expectation that such organizations were expected to provide support. I wonder if I can find any information about the Pearl Society.

Notes about Kazimiras and Raulinaitis family.

Micheal and Katherine Kisielius, "both in Russia".

The second page of the application is the record of the home visit, which took place on 12 Oct 1917. It lists the address, which I've seen many other places, 178 Rose Street. But it adds the note "2 up R", which I take to mean two floors up, on the right. It's a shame the building has been demolished. I would really have loved to go back there. It does list "Wilna", "Russia" (i.e. Vilnius, Lithuania) as place of birth, as I have already confirmed. And she is listed as "Howife" (housewife?) and munition worker. I was told there were several munitions factories in the area, but it would be hard to know which one. They did tell me that they (the Glasgow City Archive) does hold a collection of photos of WWI era women working in these factories, so maybe I'd be able to identify her.

Home Visit, 12 Oct 1917

Photo from Veronica Thomson of her mother Ona Kisieliute
She noted it was possibly the "Moran-Nichol" munitions factory.

Ona again (on right).
Veronica didn't know who the person on the left was. Possibly Sofija?

The "home visit" page suggests that she's only been resident at 178 Rose Street for 5 weeks (that would be since Kazimiras was sent away). I know from the census she was there in 1911, but I don't know where she was in between. The record also states that she only knew Kazimiras for three months before marriage, which seems to suggest that they suspected this was a marriage of convenience. By that time Kazimiras probably did know he was being deported. The odd note on "settlement", I was told, was a matter of determining which parish would pay the poor relief. Unmarried women were said to be "settled" at their father's residence. Married women were said to be "settled" at their husband's residence.

Residence

It's also good to know that my direct ancestor was not a "lunatic" or an "idiot":

Good genes.

Some changes to the status of Sofija's poor relief are also noted. By January of 1918, she was taken off the poor roll and placed on a "special roll" (receiving a benefits increase to 12/6). I know there was a lot of back and forth between authorities about whose responsibility the Lithuanian dependents were going to be (see documents here). I wonder if there is a separate book somewhere that contains these "special roll" entries. I think the special roll was eventually canceled because she returns to the poor roll (and decreases to 10/-) in May 1920. I think I recall that the national government decided it would no longer support dependents of the men they'd deported under the Anglo-Russian Military Convention. This must be it. Finally, it shows that she was "repatriated" (read: deported) on 6 Sept 1920. What is really incredible about this is that not only was she forced out, her Scottish-born son went too.

Later Notes

The full document is here.

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* of course, "Russia" is actually Lithuania, since Lithuania was under control of the Czar at the time.