Genealogy Chat

My grandmother was in a home for waifs and strays at Hull at the age of 14 years. She was labled " simple" I did not know her nor did any of my current family but there has never been any suggestion that she was simple. Can anyone tell me what did the term mean in 1911?

I would think in todays terms it would mean,

Special Learning Needs==or in the Autistic spectrum..

not in any way mentally disabled but just *slower * in absorbing.

Hi Katy, thanks thats pretty much what I thought too. Do you know of any specialists or authorities that I could consult about this. thanks for your help

Deborah,

I notice you used the phrase "waifs and strays". Was this the actual name of the home? If it was a Waifs and Strays Home, then that would have been absorbed into the current Children's Society.

It might be possible to get information from the Children's Society on your grandmother's case. I obtained a copy of my father's records from when he was in a Waifs and Strays Home 1908-1913.

(Going to bed now, so won't reply tonight if you need more information.)

Elisabeth

Hi Deborah,

It depends on the area,as to what information may have survived and archived stored ...

Like Elizabeth, I have found the Children's Society to be very helpful in providing information on close relatives who were in their care. If you haven't done so, it is worth checking their website http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/cgi-bin/childsoc-cgi.pl?csocsection=homes&query=Hull. The back copies of Waifs and Strays also give a good feel for the reasons why children were taken in.

Deborah,
Sorry to ask,but are you sure it says "simple" and not "single" or something? Reason I ask is that the "infirmity" column on the 1911 is blanked out until 2012? and that's where something like that would generally be noted.

Just curious.

Maureen

http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/cgi-bin/displayrec.pl?searchtext=hull&record=/homes/HULL01.html

Excellent,George! That one went straight into bookmarks!

Maureen

Thanks George. A very interesting site.

Gai

Thanks Maureen my information did not come from the census but rather from an old family document. I only checked her whereabouts on the 1911. thank you for your interest.

Thank you Cath I'll certainly give that a try

That is extremely helpful George Thank you

Piglets Pal, I don't believe I said my information came from the 1911 census !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!