Royal Alfred Institute in Erith

Hello all,

A recent purchase of a death certificate has raised a question regarding
the Royal Alfred Institute in Erith. A document I found in October last
year at Kew introduced another (illegitimate) son came into my MURCH
family - originally from the Brixham/Totnes area in Devon, but later
moved to London.

He was Henry Hall CURTIS baptised in Brixham in 1805 as the son of Grace
CURTIS. Grace married John MURCH in Brixham in 1811, and Henry seems to
have been known as Henry Hall Curtis MURCH. He was married in 1857 in
Liverpool to Hannah Bond COUCH, a widow, her father's name being Charles
MAGUIRE, a watch gilder.

I now have what I _think_ is his death certificate. I have a Henry
MURCH, formerly a merchant seaman, died at the Royal Alfred Institute in
Erith on 25 Dec 1871, aged 66. The 1871 Census shows me this Henry MURCH
was born in Brixham, and I think he may be my Henry CURTIS (his wife
Hannah is still in Liverpool in this census as a widow so they may have
separated?). The informant was Samuel BULERAIG, stated as present at
death - the census shows me that Samuel was a master mariner and also in
the institute. Both are recorded as indoor pensioners.

Does any one on the list know anything of records of the Royal Alfred
Institute - I'd love to find out if any admission records etc exist. The
results on Google show me it seems to have been a home for retired
seamen/mariners.

Peter Williams
Lower Hutt
New Zealand

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