Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me how I would go about finding records for children placed in orphanages. My mother-in-law', Marjorie Smith nee Glenister now deceased, was placed in one after her mother died at an early age even though her father was still alive. Is there anywhere I can start looking. My mother-in-law was born in 1907 and her mother passed away around 1910-1911. Sue

Hi Sue Don't know if this is a reference to the same orphanage: found on the house of commons web site: http://www(.)publications(.)parliament(.)uk/pa/cm198889/cmhansrd/1989-01-10/Writtens-4.html The Orphanage, Watford Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the selling price and method of valuation for the sale of The Orphanage, Watford to Heron Homes. Mr. Chope : The Orphanage, Watford is not owned by the Department of the Environment or by any Government Department. A leasehold interest held by the Department of the Environment expired on 25 December 1988. Perhaps the local library would have some info - couldn't find anything else on Google Elly

Hi I'm not sure but its somewhere to start - many thanks! Sue

I have been racking my brains trying to think where you could go for info! What about the local library? Social Services? There was an orphanage , years ago near where I live + it was run by Nazareth House/nuns If you google , you might find one near you, I thought I had found a web site, but it was for new zealand!! JUST had a thought, Why not look in the phone book + see if there is a Nazareth House near you, they may tell you how to find the one you are looking for. We sometimes forget the good old phone book!! Good luck Ann

You could always try Heron Homes!! They just might tell you who owned it!

Sue, i have only just seen this.. Listen, i used to do all the orphanage info for peeps on here, but with moving, illness etc i had to give it up.. but i do still have all my records, info, documents etc.. if you bear with me til the morning i will dig it all out for you and have a look.. ( i am just too tired now and really must go to bed. )xx em

Hi Sue, well the records i have show that the only orphanage listed in watford itself was Russels, but this is listed as being set up in 1946, so thats no good. Looking at the rest of hertfordshire, there were two, operating around that time set up by the Thomas Coran foundation. Any records left, are now with Hertfordshire county record office, County hall, SG1 8DE. Religious homes in Herts, there was one in Hemel hempstead run byu Community of St Mary the virgins Wantage, and any records are now with Wantage Community, Oxford. there are several listed run by C of E Diocese ( st Albans) and all the records are now held with hertfordshire SSD These homes were: St Gabriel, 41 Dane st, Bishop Storford 33 Fanshaw St, Bengo, hertford St Barnabas, 27 sandpit lane, St Albans Now, looking onto different records, i found ttwo other instituions that could provide a link Watford had a poor law union, which ( as many other unions) provided what was called cottage homes, these were for orphans and children given up. I checked that Watford was running around the time you specified and it was, they do have records although scant, for children 1903 - 1913. These are with hertfordshire Archives & local studies, county hall, Pegs lane, Hertfordshire SG13 8DE the House was later changed to Shrodells PA Institution, and then Watford general hospital in 1948. Also, the London orphan asylum ( originally based in hackney) moved its home to Watford in 1871... i cannot find any record of what happened and how long it was running... but am still trying. two other lines to go down are the Society Vincent De Paul and the ladies of charity, both of whom were operating orphanages around Watford at the turn of the century... again i cannot at the moment find more out.. but shall try. Also, a very good source of info for hertfordshire is what was called St Albans Diocesan Association for girls Aid, 1890 - 1941 then became St Albans Diocesan council for social welfare, this later became St Albans Diocesan coiuncil for social work All records are with Herts SSD... Also operating in Hertfordshire ( meaning there are records of homes there0 is the national childrens home ( formerly national childrens homes and orphanages). this was set up in 1837 and ran til 1965. All of their records are intact and are held at agency's headquarters, 85 highbury park, London, N5 1UD. Well Sue, i do hope this is of some use to you... please let me know if there is any more info i can give you, and good luck x

Em Thank you so much for the information this is a tremendous help and hopefully will put me on the road to discovering more about my mother-in-law's eary years. Sue x