As we now know, Gladys was an orphan at the age of 13.
Her father died in January 1921 and her mother passed away less than 2 years later in December 1922.
One of the many mysteries surrounding Gladys is what happened to her after her mother’s death. As the death is registered in Dewsbury, one assumes that she was living in Batley at that point, although when she moved back to the Heavy Woollen District is also not known.
Maybe the death certificate of her mother might shed a little more light into the matter.
It is unclear whether Gladys spent time in a workhouse, or maybe in a children’s home. There was one children’s home in Batley, the infamous Hyrstlands School for Senior Girls up Track Road. Hyrstlands was an (Approved School).
There were also a few Workhouses in the area: Batley workhouse was situated at the top of Carlinghow Lane on the left hand side (going up) at the corner of White Lee.
There was also a workhouse at Gomersal at the end of Muffitt Lane (the building still stands today), and one in Dewsbury (part of the hospital buildings). However there a re no clues as to the inhabitants at this time. There is lot’s of information to be gleamed from the workhouses website (link) but there are no available lists of inmates for the period in question.
Gladys did have a living brother, but there is no evidence that they had any contact. Certainly he wasn’t present at the wedding to Thomas, if old tales are anything to go by. On present evidence it seems highly unlikely that she lived with him after her mother’s death.
The death certificate of Gladys mother has indeed solved the mystery of what happened to Gladys after the death of her mother.
As we revealed before, Gladys was living in Back Cross Street at the time of her wedding.
Back Cross Street is also the address of the informant of her death. The informant, according to the certificate, was a cousin of Florence called Sarah Wood
In light of the probability that her mother Florence might have died in the Workhouse in Healds Road Dewsbury, we need to have another look at where Gladys was, at least up until her death. Maybe the deduction that she lived with her mother's cousin needs to be reviewed
