RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: Theresa on Monday 01 November 04 13:16 GMT (UK)
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Does anyone know where the records for the above Home are kept please - 1871 to 1891. No-one seems to know where they are - Kent say they are in Liverpool and Liverpool say they are in Kent!
Looking for info. on Alfred J Wheatley who was brought up in the Home and was in there in 1881 aged 10. He learnt his trade as a Boot and Shoe maker.
Thanks
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Theresa - have a look around this site - they cover the area of Darenth which is down the road from me:
http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/
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Theresa
I live in South Darenth and a boys home is news to me. Do you have an address or any other details ???
There is a local history society, I'll try and see if they know anything.
Might be wroth trying the village website http://www.hortonkirbyandsouthdarenth.co.uk there might be something on there, but I have not had a look for some time.
Adrian
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Hi Theresa
On the site you quote [horton kirby etc] they have a story about the home - in Farningham. In 1882 The Builder magazine showed a 2 page spread of what was proposed there - 5 handsome villas in extensive grounds.
By the way - I live in Hextable - old name was Hackstaple. So we are neighbours.
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Theresa - some potentially good news - the NCH holds all of the records and after 100 years you may see them and your ancestor was there over 100 years ago.
http://sca.lib.liv.ac.uk/collections/socialwork/nch.htm#access
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Hackstaple / Theresa
Right I know where it is now. Its at the top of New Road in the village.
If you want any photo's let me know and I'll pop up there.
I think I need to get better aquainted with whats in the village, my excuse is I have only lived here for 5 years and do not come from the area at all.
Adrian
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Wow - another local resident. We should have our own family history meet. Trouble is that none of mine came from Kent at all. They were mostly West country or Londoners and other who were probably neither I can't trace back beyond about 1820 - they probably flew in from another planet.
I just remembered the Home because I have a little antique prints operation and a couple of years back I sold an architectural print of it [or them].
Keep well, both of you.
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Hi there,
I am moving this topic into the Kent board where it will be seen by those with interests in the area.
Good Luck,
Kazza.
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Hi Theresa - a long time back you requested information about the "South Darenth" Little Boys Home". I have just found out that the title was misleading and it was probably the "Swanley Little Boys Home". To my amazement I found the actual building right here in Hextable where I live and it is the place now known as The Furness School on Top Dartford Road. 8)
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Hello Folks,
Well, I was born in no 5 Stanley Cottages, Lane's End, Sth Darenth in 1949. When I was a 'big boy' about 9 yrs old I seem to remember playing near a 'boy's home' near Horton Kirby. It was just by a steam train railway line...I imagine it may have been either a branch (pre Dr Beeching) or one of the connecting lines to the Kent coast.
I think the 'home' may have been in Farningham come to think about it.
Anyway, nice to have the strings tugged.
Best
Rog
Glasgow Scotland. ;D
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There were two homes. The one in South Darenth opened in the 1860s and was confusingly called the Farningham Homes for Little Boys. The one in Swanley opened later.
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Yes, I think Farningham sounds more like it. That means my geographical excuses to my Mum were right after all >:(
Good old Mum
Thanks for putting me right on that
Rog
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I had an old cutting from " The Builder" of 1882 and this showed an artists impression of the Little Boys' Homes being built in Swanley. This agrees with the other postings as to dates.
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My Mother-in-law used to live in a retirement sheltered housing complex, which we understood was once the location of a boys home in South Darenth. The entrance was more or less opposite when you reached the top of the hill from either New Road or East hill. It had its own small church, (original) which was still there, when I was last there. The nearest station is Farningham Road Station. The railway Line is very close. In Fact I belive the complex was later acquired by Union Railways, when it was thought the Channel Tunnel Railway line would use that section. The name of the complex is called Southdowns. I am not sure whether any original buildings remain, as most of the complex was purpose built about 25 years ago.
Hope this helps
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Hi Dave,
This all seems to confirm it for me. I am grateful for your help regarding this little memory I had.
I hate to admit this but my cousin and I used to clamber down the side of the railway cutting and place a halfpenny on the line :o we must have been NUTS
Sigh!
Rog
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http://www.hortonkirbyandsouthdarenth.co.uk/
I know this was mentioned earlier but here is the page it's taken me yonks to find. And I aint gonna miss my moment of fame.
Rog
Glasgow ;D ;D ;D
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Dave,
I did not know about a church being there.
When were you last in the village ?
Adrian
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Hi
I don't know if you have made any progress with this but I have found the following which shows a great amount of records surviving (paragraph N) http://www.rootschat.com/links/06v5/
I can't quite make out exactly where they are but it seems they were deposited with the National Childrens Homes and are now held .................... Liverpool? Birmingham? University Perhaps you can look a bit more closely
It says that the records are closed for 100 years but you may be able to apply the "Freedom of Information Act"
Casalguidi :)
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I know this posting is rather old, but thought I would mention that the home at South Darenth featured in the BBC TV prog WDYTYA on Rupert Everett, (broadcast Mon 26 Jul 2010) as his grandfather was there from around 3 to 14 years of age.
It did not make it clear who holds the records, but they were able to access records from the late 1880s into the 1890s.
Rupert met a local historian in the little church (see my earlier post), where he showed him the registers,
Regards
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The Little Boys Home at Darenth,featured heavily in last evenings "Who Do You Think You Are" BBC 1 9.00PM programme about the filmstar Rupert Everrett.
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Hi
The Farningham Homes for Boys Association was what was mentioned. Their website is here
http://www.farninghamhomeforboys.co.uk/
The home was founded in 1864
Later admission registers 1931-1955 are certainly held by the The Centre for Kentish Studies as the information given on the link casalguidi gave earlier. See A2A
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/
Casalguidi's link states the records were donated to the National Children's Home when Farningham was closed in 1961.
This is the National Children's Homes website - now renamed Action for Children
http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/content/551/The-Homes
The NCH have deposited their records at Liverpool University
http://sca.lib.liv.ac.uk/collections/colldescs/social.html
But to access the records you have to apply to NCH - Action for children
see the information on DANGO - Database of Archives of Non-Government Organisations for what is held on Farningham
http://www.dango.bham.ac.uk/record_details.asp?id=532&recordType=coll
Regards
Valda
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Thanks for clarifying that Valda :)
Casalguidi :)
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Hi, i believe the records shown on the show were held by a group started by former children of the home "big boys", but it didnt state where these were held.
shane.
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Dave,
I did not know about a church being there.
When were you last in the village ?
Adrian
http://www.kent-opc.org/Parishes/Darenth.html
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Hi
Please read my previous post
The Farningham Homes for Boys Association was what was mentioned. Their website is here
http://www.farninghamhomeforboys.co.uk/
as their website states
'A more complete history of the homes can be viewed at our old boys corner in the chapel at Southdowns on Old Boys Day, or by appointment with the manager'
So they probably have the old year books and photographs. However the records of individual children - the admissions registers are held at Liverpool University, but you will need to go through the charity National Children's Homes - now Action for Children, to access them or later children's records from the 1930s onwards are held at the Centre for Kentish Studies. See my previous post for the links to those records.
The home had its own chapel - in the picture on the Farningham Homes for Boys Association website
Regards
Valda
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Just seen the tv programme "Who do you think you are"? and One of Rupert Everett's (actor) relatives was put in the Darenth home. Google bbc I player and type in the search box - who do you think you are and then you can watch the programme for yourself. Very interesting.
SylvieX
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Hi all
I only caught this thread because I was looking for pictures and photos of the school .
But having read all the postings , I would just like to encourage any one who had a relative at either school to apply for the application details from the NCH records office (mentioned in a previous listing)
My grandfather was a pupil up until the beginning of WW1
.I applied for his records about 6 years ago and noone was worried about a 100 year privacy rule or any thing like that.
The records were fascinating....physical description (much like on an army record),psycological profile,circumstances of admission ,family members,etc etc.....although I guess this might alter from case to case.
Sadly,I am not resident in the UK,and the BBC only broadcast and do programme re-runs over the internet for UK use,so I can't watch the programme itself.
Happy researching to you all
Rebel
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There was an identical complex at Hextable, Swanley, completed a year later in 1883 - they had the same overall management and funding system.
That complex, with extensive grounds, still stands and is in use as the Furness School. This boarding school caters for children with various disabilities and does not wish the school to be photographed in case the privacy of the pupils is compromised.
Documentary : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5HgwmnDNNk
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Thankyou ,Hackstaple .for the link.
Youtube never occured to me and I enjoyed watching immensley.
Regards
rebel
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isn't this where Ryupert Everetts gt grandfather Cyril was brought up did you see his WDYTYA , that might tell you where the actual records are :)
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Hi toni
Please read the previous posts on this topic 27 July which detail where the records of Farningham Little Boys Home (the home in the Rupert Everett programme) are kept.
Regards
Valda
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I have just discovered this site and want to thank all those who have posted messages about the Home for Little Boys in South Darenth. It appears my Great Grandfather was there in 1891 when he was 11. I now know where to start searching for his records.
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Hi everyone who replied to my request about Home for little Boys, south Darenth, I found it very interesting and thank you everyone for posting the links where to go to. :)
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Just to clarify the boys home in South Darenth, as appeared in WDYTYA
is entirely different from the boys home in Hextable, Swanley.
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Hello,
I just wondered if anyone had managed to gain access from action for children to look at the records for the home for between 1907 and 1915, an ancestor of mine is listed as living there on the 1911 census, but I have requested access from aft which they declined saying that due to the nature of the records and the privacy of information of others held there only researchers were allowed access.
I'm so confused by the whole thing, I would really like to see my ancestors admission records as the circumstances of why he was thee are a bit of a mystery.
Any ideas
Hols83
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Hi
I'm presuming they are declining because they are making the cut at the 100 year ruling and he was in the home beyond 1911. If you are a direct descendant and the closest living relative and can prove as such or have the permission of an older relative then I would request again under the Freedom of Information Act. Even if you can't see the records personally request a summary of the information you would wish to see. His records may very well be kept in a volume with other boys records which again would be a reason for not being able to access the records yourself personally. If you are not a direct descendant they will be conscious that as the records contain information about the child's family, direct descendants (children of the boy could possibly be still alive) may not want such information, if they knew about it, to be given to others.
Regards
Valda
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That's great.
Thank you for the tips.
Jolliet