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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Somerset => Topic started by: etrotte on Tuesday 11 June 13 18:09 BST (UK)
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A pair of girls (Lily Graves, age 4; Alice Graves, age 3) are listed in the 1901 census for a "St Elizabeth Home" in Clevedon (district 3), Somerset, England, who are possible sisters of my great grandfather Charles Henry Graves. Their parents, Frederick George Graves and Margaret Ann Graves (nee Weeks), died in Cardiff, Wales when they were very young, and I'm trying to find out how the orphaned Lily, Alice, Charles, and other sibling Frederick George ended up in Ontario, Canada (settling in the Hamilton area).
I was hoping to find out more about this home, likely for girls, to see if they have any records that might help. Any ideas on how I might find out more about this home?
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I wonder if it should be St Edith's Children's Home? http://www.sistersofthechurch.org/our-houses/uk/clevedon and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clevedon#history
Stan
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I'm trying to look for the location of neighbouring houses/lodges listed on the 1901 census to see if I can narrow down the location of this "St Elizabeth's House". Looks like St Edith's Children's Home might be in the right area?? I'll see if I can contact them and confirm the connection.
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On the following page is "21 Princes Road", a road which still exists.
The wikipedia page for Clevedon has this to say:
Clevedon was also home to St Edith's children's home for almost 100 years until it closed in 1974. The building on Dial Hill is listed, and therefore the outside has changed little, but it now houses privately owned flats. The home was run by nuns from 'The Community of the Sisters of the Church' which is an international body of women within the Anglican Communion, living under the gospel values of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.
But, on the 1901 census, the 5 Sisters in Charge have as their occupation "Sister of Charity".
So, maybe 2 orphanages?
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KGarrad,
I was wondering about "Sister of Charity" (listed under profession/occupation). Could it be a clue to the organization that ran the home?? Princes Road is close to Dial Hill Rd, where St Edith's is located. I'm not sure how many children's homes were in the area, so perhaps they are 2 different orphanages. Also, I wonder how likely it was for a home such as St Edith's to be mislabelled on a census?
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I am beginning to think they are one and the same!
I used FindMyPast address search for Clevedon.
There are no entries for Dial Hill Road - probably the houses are posh enough to be known by name alone!
There is no entry in "Other Establishments" for St Edith's.
But obviously St Elizabeth's Home exists.
And that article reckoned the home had been open for nearly 100 years!
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There is no mention in http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/ for either St. Edith's or St. Elizabeth's in Clevedon.
Stan
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I found a little for info on St Edith's from a blog for people who stayed at St Edith's as children. This is what it reads:
"Hallam Hall was a Boarding School for approximately 10 years before it became an Orphanage for homeless children. The Community of the Sisters of the Church who took over the School renamed the building St. Edith's, this soon became home to endless children. The body of Sisters belonged to The Anglican Communion of the Church , they ran the Orphanage, they lived under the gospel values of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.
St.Edith's remained for nearly 100 years, still caring for children before finally closing down in Janurary 1975."
It doesn't say exactly when it became St Edith's though, so I'll continue to the hunt for more information...
Hi KGarrad. I noticed all the neighbours in the 1901 census were houses known by 'name alone'. I also couldn't find any other establishments in the census for St Edith's either. I haven't checked the 1911 census yet though.
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There is also a Facebook page, with lots of photos.
2nd down, 2nd left is a Christmas card with a lovely old view of the house.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=o.142650159093202&ref=mf
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I just googled "sister of charity", and found a website for the Religious Sisters of Charity that may also fit. In their history section, there isn't a home listed for Clevedon, but there is a St Elizabeth house that opened in 1900 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. I've contacted them to see if they also had a St Elizabeth house in Clevedon at the time.
http://www.religioussistersofcharity.org/locations.html
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Hallam Hall can be seen on the Clevedon 1884 Town Plan at http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html?coords=340790,171757 Marked as St. Edith's Orphanage on the 1931 1:2500 plan.
Stan
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St Edith's is plainly seen still on Google maps.
And marked as such - search for St Edith's, Clevedon.
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There is also a St Hilda's in the 1901 Census at RG13/2355/38/20 St Elizabeth's is at RG13/2355/39/21
Stan
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The Official Year-book of the Church of England, 1901. Sisters of Charity;
(11) St. Elizabeth's Home for Infants, Clevedon, Somerset, for twenty-six children under seven years of age. Google Book Search.
Stan
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Stan,
This must be the correct St. Elizabeth Home! For some reason I can't seem to find the 1901 Year-book of The Church of England through Google book search.
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Stan,
This must be the correct St. Elizabeth Home! For some reason I can't seem to find the 1901 Year-book of The Church of England through Google book search.
Search Google Books for St. Elizabeth's Home for Infants clevedon
Stan
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Ok, I had found the correct book. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a preview option for this specific page (153). I'll see if I can find the book elsewhere.
...Then again, there isn't likely to be any more information on St Elizabeth than what can be seen in the image you posted.
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Don't get your hopes up, but I am currently in Clevedon Library!
Looking for any reference to St Elizabeth's, or Sisters of Charity.
I will report later if I find anything.
John Wright & Co's Clevedon Directory for 1896-1897 has a mention of:
The Convalescent Home of the Sisters of Charity
-opposite St Mary's Church, Walton by Clevedon (now Walton-in-Gordano)
served by the Sisters of Charity, St Raphael's. Bristol
The previous page on the 1901 census has the following addresses:
Andover House - Lily Hooper
St Hilda's - Florence M Thonge
Gothic Lodge -Marianne Shephard
The Elms - Harry A Chard
and then Elizabeth Home
Princes Road, from the directory, has:
Andover House - Mrs Nixon Hooper
Miss Thonger & Miss Ferguson
Gothic Lodge - H J Capron & Mrs Sheppard
--- Linden Road Intersects
South View House - William Thos. Knight
Linden Road has:
Rutland Lodge, Rev. G L Fenton
Boddington House, Edward Boucher
Hawkesbury, The Misses Coleman, Ladies School
Waterford House - William J Ticker
---- Princes Road intersects
East Somerset Archery & Lawn Tennis Club
E H Hazell, Photographic Studio
Clevedon Club
Frederick Davis
Skating Rink
My allotted time is running out! Maybe more tomorrow?! ;D
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Wow, thanks for check this!
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Princes Road and Linden Road form a crossroads.
Gothic Lodge and The Elms are on 2 of the 4 corners.
(coincidentally, Gothic Lodge forms part of the care home where my father spent part of his last 2 years before he passed on)
My assumption would be the Elizabeth Home was on one of the other 2 corners?
One of these is now called Garstons.
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You can see St. Elizabeth's Home on the 1903 map at http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html?coords=340542,171417 on Prince's Road to the east of Sun Hill House.
Stan
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Google Street View http://goo.gl/maps/Sdzf9
Stan
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Thanks, Stan!
I was about to go for another walk up there - and praying for the rain to hold off ;D
Some houses still have names on the stone entrance posts; some have names that are hard to distinguish.
But I couldn't see anything that looked like Elizabeth! ::)
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Fantastic! I see the home on the 1903 map of Clevedon. Thank you for finding this map Stan! KGarrad was kind enough to take pictures of the house beside Prince's Hall (Clevedon Community Center), which according to the 1903 map should be the correct location of St Elizabeth's home! It looks like the address is 3 Princes Rd. I can now look further into the history of this residence.
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The Google Street View I gave http://goo.gl/maps/Sdzf9 is of the same house
Stan
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The library told me that it might be worth contacting the Clevedon Civic Society?
http://www.clevedon-civic-society.org.uk/Content/contacts.html