Were your ancestors in one of our homes?

We are excited to announce we have a brand new search engine on our Together Trust website to help people see if their ancestors were ever in one of our Manchester homes.

New search facility

Currently in its early stages, around 4000 names have been inputted into the system for individuals that were in our Manchester Homes between 1870 and 1915. This can be searched by full name or surname. Applications can then be made to the Together Trust to access full records if family details match up. 

The search has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the Together Trust’s Deep Pockets and Dirty Faces project. The search was the result of feedback from the project, which heightened the interest in Together Trust’s history. 

Case file

At present, most researchers come to the charity asking for information about their ancestor because they have found them on the UK census. Every ten years since 1801 the nation has set aside one day for the census - a count of all people and households in the country. It is the most complete source of information about the population that we have. It is also the only survey, which provides a detailed picture of the entire population, and is unique because it covers everyone at the same time and asks the same core questions everywhere. Records have been kept since 1841 and includes residential institutions such as workhouses, hospitals and refuges. It is this record that has led most genealogists to the charity. However, for any children that were admitted and left the charity in-between these years, it is more difficult to discover they were ever in one of our homes. 

The search engine makes the process easier and will be added to over time. So what are you waiting for? Head to our website now and see if one of your Manchester relatives was ever in one of our homes.