RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: sharonf73 on Friday 17 March 06 14:34 GMT (UK)
-
Hi
Does anyone know if there was a home for unmarried mothers in Whitley Bay? The year I'm looking at is 1943.
Thanks
Sharon
-
Hi Sharon
There was a large Northumberland Village Homes site in Whitley Bay between Percy Avenue and Souter Park.
I lived in Percy Avenue from 1948-50 and we were not allowed to speak to the girls who lived in the various houses. It was known as a place where the 'bad girls' went. I presume they meant unmarried mothers, but at that time being a child I had no idea about such things.
Marion
-
Hi Sharon
There was a large Northumberland Village Homes site in Whitley Bay between Percy Avenue and Souter Park.
I lived in Percy Avenue from 1948-50 and we were not allowed to speak to the girls who lived in the various houses. It was known as a place where the 'bad girls' went. I presume they meant unmarried mothers, but at that time being a child I had no idea about such things. The site was there for many years, though it is now down and I think new housing has been built.
Marion
-
Hi Marion
Thanks for this, very interesting. I'll look more into it. We are still not sure if my relative was sent away to have the baby, but her baby was born in Whitley Bay and then then came back to Scotland (it may be something I'll never find out but you never know!).
Sharon
-
Hi Sharon: Sorry I'm replying 11 years later! I lived on Duchess Street in the 50's and 60's and the Northumberland Homes (the home for naughty girls as I was told it was called) was at the top of our street. But what may be of interest to you is that the Tyne & Wear Archives have records, including admissions, for 1879 to 1983.
---Jillian
-
Hi Sharon,
When I was growing up this place used to be feared amongst the local children because of the reputation it had as the 'naughty home!'. Although, I used to peer through the gaps between the high wooden fence, when walking past, I never actually saw any children but later in the mid seventies I worked with one of the girls who was allowed out on work experience. It seemed to be a very private place, very quiet with no one heard or seen in the grounds. At least, never at the times when my family or I were passing by.
Many, many years ago, there was also a place called ' At Oswald's Home for Girls' in Cullercoats which is very near Whitley Bay.
-
if you purchase the babies birth certificate it will have the address at which she was born on it I assume the baby was registered in his/her mothers name
-
Is this the same place? (Northumberland Homes, Whitley Bay.) If so it was used as an Approved School for girls from 1933.
http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/WhitleyIS/
I was once told that at one time in the early 20thC girls who were pregnant out of marriage were placed in mental hospitals and stayed there for most of their lives :(
-
The idea that psychiatric institutions were full of unmarried girls who had become pregnant in the first half of the 20thC was one that was perpetuated largely order to justify the nationwide closure of these places.
In fact, if every unmarried pregnant young woman had been " put away", a good third of the female population would have been in the old asylums. Some of my ancestors included.
I think we can safely deduce that the poor unfortunate girls were suffering from mental illnesses which might well have lead to all kinds of consequences including pregnancy.
-
There is an article about the Village Homes at Whitley Bay in a newspaper called the 'Whitley Seaside Chronicle and Visitors' Gazette' dated Saturday October 10, 1931. This is on microfilm at North Shields local studies. The article which is quite long, is about their Annual Meeting.
The article mentions that the children attend council school up to the age of 15 then spend one year in practical work at the home including dressmaking, ambulance, gymnastics, dancing, cookery, swimming and evening continuation classes. The home also has Guides and Brownies. It mentions that girls often visit from over 20 years ago with their growing families. It is also reported that there is a liberal diet.
Prize winners are also recorded in housecraft, sewing rooms, garden, ambulance and good conduct.