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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Sunnydays on Friday 02 March 07 09:14 GMT (UK)
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Hi every one, need some advice. If in 1928 a child was fostered out from a Convent would Social Services pay for the up keep of the child. The Convent was Holly Mount in Tottington.
Many thanks
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Erm, not clever at all, but Social Services as such did not exist in 1928. Poor Law authorities had their responsibilities transferred by the Local Government Act of 1929 to local councils. But a convent would not have been under the control of the local council. Did the convent also place children for adoptions? maybe the Catholic Adoption society might be able to help you.
However, someone else posted this information on RootsChat a while back. The records of Hollymount were transferred to:
The Catholic Children’s Rescue Society
390 Parrs Wood Road
Didsbury
Manchester M20 5NA
They also said that many children were placed by the Bury Guardians, presumably before 1929.
Good Luck
Nell
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Hi Nell
Thanks for the reply. I have contacted the C.C.R.S. and the only info is the day my mother went in and the day she left and this was in the year 1931 so do you think Bury Social Services would know anything!!!! Thanks very much for the reply.
Sunnydays
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Hi Nell
Did not add that the poor society did not put my mother into care her mother did.
Regards
SUNNYDAYS
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If her mother put the daughter into care, I'm not sure if anyone other than the convent would necessarily have any records. Social Services, as I said, before did not exist prior to the late 1940s.
Nell
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Hi Nell
Thanks for the reply and advice, the search goes on.
Sunnydays
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How old was she when she went in?
The convent would not have fostered anyone out. Unless recalled by family or whichever society or organisation placed her, it would have been normal practice to stay there until working age (14).
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Hi again,
I've just noticed you are in Spain.
Were your Mother and Grandmother from Spain? Perhaps the dates are significant. 1928 being the date Franco was appointed and 1931 the beginning of the Second Republic. Holly Mount took in a number of children later in the 30s who were escaping the Civil War.
It's just a thought.
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Hi
Thanks for the reply. Its a very long story. Yes I do live in Spain now, this story was 1928 in Manchester where my mother was born. Mum was put into Holly Mount at six weeks old. In 1931 she was placed with a very strick Catholic family in Durham Mum was fostered not adopted hence my thought on being paid by social services to be fostered, but I think its possible she was placed through a Catholic church because the family who took her the Jenners Mrs Jenner cleaned the church in Durham.
Its been a 30 year search I have progressed a lot but not enough!!!!! still skeleton's in the cubhoard!!!!!
Kind Regards and thanks
Sunnydays
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Images removed as it may infringe copy rights
migky ;)
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Sunnydays
I think you are still under a misapprehension about "Social Services". There was no such thing in pre-war days - and the title is one only used in quite modern times. In any case their records would only have been started after the war, and I doubt if they have an archive. Even if they have, the rule about any such records are very strict - it is only after 100 years that they are allowed to be seen. Fostering is only now being more strictly controlled, and in prewar days it would hve been quite hit-and miss: all such things were in the hands of voluntary organisations, since it was not thought proper for either local or national government to interfere in such personal things. Quite different from 2007!
Peter
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You can always try
http://www.genealogy-guide.org.uk/adoption.html
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/adoptions/
Try Fostering/Adoption team at Manchester City Council Social Services
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Hi Peter
Thanks for your reply, sorry for the delay, but we were down on our internet for over a week.
Kind Regards
Sunnydays
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Pre 1978 it was the Children's Department, and no records for children in care were kept. They held on to them till they child reached 21 years and then without a word they were disposed of.
Children who were placed in care post 1978 - their records have to be kept.
However institutions such as Barnados, religiously funded ones and charity funded ones usually kept their records. I was 'in care' and so was unlucky - the authority don't know know that ever existed in their care (12 years).
My older half sisters were placed in a Nazareth House and their records are secure - but not very informative.
My husband's father was brought up in Barnado's from 1909 to 1925 and we got marvellous and extensive information from them including photographs, not just of him but his brother too.
I guess its the luck of the draw! Jackie
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You say she was born at st. Mary's ? well this place was right next door or part of the same building back in 1929 on High street Chorlton-on-medlock, so could be something to do with her?
I have looked this up once before , for "Liverpool Annie" might be worth asking her if she got any where with it?
Migky ;)
Images removed as it may infringe copy rights
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Pre 1978 it was the Children's Department, and no records for children in care were kept. They held on to them till they child reached 21 years and then without a word they were disposed of.
I have only just noticed this and have to say that I disagree. My late father in law and his brothers were placed into the care of the Greater London County Council in the 1940s when they were orphaned and records do exist. We were not allowed to view them (still closed) but were sent a summary of father in law's time in care. How this summary compared to the orginal records I don't know but it read something like:
Reason and date of admission to one home
Date of removal to another "school"
Recommended for the "Child Emmigration" scheme
Fostered
Casalguidi :)
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Images removed as it may infringe copy rights
Migky ;)
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Slightly off topic, but there was a man on Radio 4 this morning who had been in orphanages as a child. He said that whenever children made friends with each other, one of them would be moved on, which sounds awful, so the children never settled anywhere. He had a friend when she was 9 and he was 7 and they got separated. Years later, when both had been married and either divorced or widowed, they met again accidentally and have been together ever since. Aaah.
Liz