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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Aberdeenshire => Topic started by: NESTLE on Saturday 02 January 10 01:54 GMT (UK)
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I was born in Haddo House August 1941. My mother and father lived in Glasgow and my father was not in the forces. I think my mother was sent to Methlick for safety reasons and to have a safe delivery. I understand at the anniversary of the end of the way a few years back that all children born at Haddo were invited back by the family still living there. I was in Canada and did not hear about this until after the event.
There is a National Trust booklet on Haddo House. However, it does not make any reference to this period. I would be interested in hearing more information on this period if anyone knows or has visited Haddo House.
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Hi and welcome to RootsChat.
Haddo House is a long way from Glasgow, well over 100 miles away in Aberdeenshire. You may have better luck asking people with local Aberdeenshire knowledge. Would you like the post moved to the Aberdeen board?
Nell
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Please post on Aberdeen board. Thank you
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Nestle, there are two Haddo's, the Earl of Aberdeen's and another at Forgue...Skoosh
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Suggest you try the National Trust for Scotland -
http://www.nts.org.uk/Home/
They now look after Haddo house.
Or perhaps the Aberdeen Archives may be able to help. They have records of both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire county -
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/LocalHistory/archives/loc_ArchivesHomePage.asp
Jim
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Just for background, there has been a previous post on Haddo House (which Nestle is aware of but may help those doing any searches) on www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,418961.0.html
Monica :)
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I have visited Haddo House & had a lovely visit with June, Marchioness of Aberdeen & Temair. the owner. She was a close friend (actually a distant cousin) of a relative of mine.
A very down to earth lady, who was out in her garden working when we arrived. She has turned Haddo in a thriving Arts Centre, including the Haddo House Choral Society, an annual Opera production, choral concerts, a bi-annual Shakespeare production, etc. Her son has, I believe, taken over the operation of this part of the estate & there is a trust that administers it now.
The booklet is very interesting & informative. I'm sure you could obtain it on-line through the National Trust. I too am in Canada.
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Thank you for your reply. I found it most interesting. I have not visited Haddo House but look forward to doing so in the near future. I did find a book entitled "Growing up in Haddo" which was about the family. No mention of children being born there during the war. I am able to impress people when I show them a picture of where I was born. However, this was followed by a move to less grander circumstances - a Glasgow tenement. Nevertheless had a vey happy childhood there and I have been fortunate to live in Toronto for the past forty years and appreciate the good life here in Canada. Again thank you for your response.!
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I bet if you wrote to them, they seemed like the kind of people to me who would take an interest & do their best to assist you with finding records or just telling you about what life had been like there at the time you were born.
I'm in Saskatchewan, though born at Peterborough....I agree...we have a great life in Canada!
I'm back to Scotland in just over a month to visit again though....something about it that just draws me
back again & again!
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Hi Nestle, hope you did manage to get more info about Haddo's time as a maternity hospital during WW2. It is a story that is quite well known locally.
see http://news.scotsman.com/aberdeen/National-Trust-seeks-Haddo-babes.6372142.jp published June '10.
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Hi, and welcome to rootschat. If you look at Monica's post (4 January 1910) you'll see a link to another post on this subject.
Regards,
flst
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Just seen your inquiry re Haddo. My wife was a Haddo baby born 1942. A few years ago there was a reunion at Haddo, and mothers and babies were invited. Although it was primarily Glasgow mothers who went there, simply to get them out of Glasgow and the worst of the bombing, other mothers did land up there as well. My wife's mother was in Aberdeen at the time, and Haddo was the safest place for a maternity hospital. Her husband my father in law was in the RAF stationed at a decoy airfield near Whiterashes. STV did a TV programme on the reunion and concentrated on a particular Glasgow mother and daughter. I could try and find if I still have a copy of the programme. We recorded it as my wife is filmed albeit briefly,meeting Lady Aberdeen with the words " I'm the baby - this is the Mum.." It provided the family with a laugh.
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I too was a Haddo war baby, My family were from Glasgow and I was born at Haddo in August 1941 and visited Haddo house when the reunion took place in 1987 when Lady June of Temmaire was present. I've recently re-visited and toured the house yet again, it was interesting to see the room where the babies were actually delivered which was Queen Victoria's bedroom when she stayed there on one occasion.
I don't know where other babies were christened, but I was christened in the private Chapel attached to the house