Can anyone tell me what the term "House of Refuge" meant in 1916. This is where my gg grandfather Joseph W Staves died in Picton PEC .The Informants name was I think as it is hard to read LH Minaker. The Doctor was Dr L S Philp Was this place a jail or Prison or a nursing home or Old folks home?
Please email if you think you can help
Susan

I'm not 100% sure but I think a house of refuge was a "poor house", meaning people who had run out of money and had no relatives living in the area that would take them in. If they were not able to find a job or make a living they went to stay in the poor house. It was in the days before the government welfare system. A genealogy/history librarian might be able to confirm this.

This was the Prince Edward County Poorhouse. Most of the inmates were listed as indigent.
Thomas Shannon Philp was the physician and T.H. Minaker was a local undertaker.