RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: cookson on Tuesday 25 May 10 20:14 BST (UK)
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Hi, can anyone tell me if it is possible to get records of St Vincents industrial school, Dartford, as i found my great uncle in there on the 1891 census, his family lived in Deptford at the time, was wanting to know why he would have been sent there, and where he went after there. Cheers. Cookie.
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Looks like it was a Catholic school which was originally based in New Cross and moved to Dartford in 1878. The records appear to be at the London Metropolitan Archives (ref LCC/EO/PS/12/SP/168/1) but you'd need to contact them to find out which records they actually hold.
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Hi
Further background
http://www.missing-ancestors.com/st_vincent%20boys%20dartford%20kent%20info.htm
Regards
Valda
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Hi Jjayadee and Valda, many thanks for your reply, i will contact the records office now see if i can get any more info, Thanks again. Cookie.
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just wondering how you went finding info. looking for charles hendy on 1911 cenus was there he was 13 and was from chatham. ty
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Hi Cookie
I'm hoping you still use this site. My father was at St Vincents, Dartford and sent to Canada by them in 1914. I was wondering if you found out where they kept the records. I asked the Catholic Children's Association and all they said was that the log books didn't have individual children in.
Hoping you found them.
Mumlee
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Hi Mumlee, i have not found any records yet regarding St Vincents School, sorry, not been looking in that direction for a while, if i find anything, i will be in touch... Cheers... Cookie.
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Has anybody tried contacting the St Vincent St Paul Society (I assume that's the society responsible for the home(s))?
Also, it might be worth bearing in mind that some children may have been sent there via the Union Workhouse system so may appear in the Union Records.
Names/residences/ages etc. might help ;)
Casalguidi :)
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Hi. The school was set up by the Presentation Brothers and was looked after by the Southwark Diocese. I have checked back to my correspondence with the Catholic Children's Society and they told me that the log books still exist. My father was sent to Canada by the school as a child migrant and only note cards now remain of his records and that tells me very little. He was sent to the school by the court system and those records do not exist either.
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Have you tried local newspapers if the appropriate court records do not survive?
Casalguidi :)
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Hi, can anyone tell me if it is possible to get records of St Vincents industrial school, Dartford, as i found my great uncle in there on the 1891 census, his family lived in Deptford at the time, was wanting to know why he would have been sent there, and where he went after there. Cheers. Cookie.
"The Industrial Schools Act
At first like the ragged schools the Industrial Schools were run on a voluntary basis. However in 1857 the Industrial Schools Act was passed. This gave magistrates the power to sentence children between the ages of 7 and 14 years old to a spell in one of these institutions. The act dealt with those children who were brought before the courts for vagrancy in other words for being homeless. In 1861 a further act was passed and different categories of children were included:
Any child apparently under the age of fourteen found begging or receiving alms [money or goods given as charity to the poor].
Any child apparently under the age of fourteen found wandering and not having any home or visible means of support, or in company of reputed thieves.
Any child apparently under the age of twelve who, having committed an offence punishable by imprisonment or less.
Any child under the age of fourteen whose parents declare him to be beyond their control.(5)
The act stated the child had to be 'apparently' under the age of fourteen. This was because children often lied about their age if it was advantageous for them to do so. Some children genuinely did not know how old they were. It was not until 1875 that it became compulsory to register births". From Hidden Lives Revealed - an excellent source.