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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Gloucestershire => Topic started by: worshipper on Sunday 26 June 05 14:03 BST (UK)
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Does anyone know of whereabouts of Public assistance Colonies in glosxcestershire in 1940@s please.
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Hi Worshipper :)
Excuse my ignorance, but what is a Public Assistance Colony?
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Arranroots. Public assistance colonies were a form of mental institutions. I too didn't know what they were at first
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In that case..
I know there was one at a place called Coney Hill, just outside Gloucester.
Will see what else I can discover.
;)
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Hi Worshipper
There was a mental health institution called Hortham Colony which opened in 1933 at Almondsbury in South Gloucestershire. www.glensidemuseum.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk may give you more information.
Nashua
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Thanks both for inf. Will try site u suggested.
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Hi Worshipper
I'm intrigued by the term "public assistance colonies" ???
I've never heard of this either .................... how did you come by that if you don't mind me asking ???
Just curious ..............
Casalguidi
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To Casalguidi- Term was mentioned in my husbands case notes received from Children's Society and social worker we had to see explained it
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Thanks to yesterdays messages have found actual colony my husband's birth mother went to - Hortham Colony near Almondsbury and her discharge date! We always assumed she had died during the war but she was still alive in 1960! Not sure if we can trace her further apart from trawling through GRO deaths.
Thanks to all who have given me info. :)
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That's really good news Worshipper!
I can't believe I didn't think of Hortham Hospital, as my sister worked there as part of our school's community outreach programme in the 1970s! I believe it has since closed and been redeveloped, but stand to be corrected on that.
Well done, Nashua!
Arranroots ;)
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That's wonderful news ................. a bit of a shock perhaps but at least you have some more info :)
Best wishes
Casalguidi
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This is an unusual site! It has photos of the derelict building and some info which may be of interest:
http://gallery116701.fotopic.net/c440280.html
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Thats good news Worshipper.Glad we were able to help.
You are right Arranroots, Hortham Hospital definately closed about 15 years ago I think. Its quite near to where I live.
Nashua
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Hi all,
Was Stoke Park Hospital an institution too or a hospital ?
One of my family members died in 1958, and I was told that he maybe died at, Stoke Park Hospital Bristol (also no longer there). He was in an institution I believe for quite some years.
Did institutions/hospitals keep records on patients or destroyed them once deceased? and to what year(s) can you maybe search up too? I presume 1958 records are unavailable?
Thanks Ele.
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Googling suggests that Stoke Park Hospital was for the care of learning disabled patients.
The records, according to the National Archives site, are held at Bristol Record Office. Their staff are very helpful in my experience and I'm sure they will be able to tell you what is available.
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Hi Ele
Im just off to Bristol records office so I can ask if they have the records for you. Will let you know later
Nashua
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Hi Arranroots. Thanks for the suggested site to look at Hortham. Have tried it and printed it out It adds to my knowledge about it. Will write to bristol record office when i have time. Glenside miseum staff were very helpful. Will also try Google .
Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions.worshipper
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Hi Ele & Worshipper.
Ele - I have been to the Bristol records office this morning. They do hold various records for Stoke Park Hospital, but there is generally a 30year wait to view admin records & a 100 year wait for medical records. Checking their index the only record they hold covering 1958 is the general register ( ref 40686 SPC/R/1a ). They would need to see proof of your identity/relationship to the person being researched to give you any information from the records. You may not be able to search them yourself because of confidentiality rules. They also had a register of deaths but this only covers up to 1954.
Worshipper - whilst requesting the above info for Ele, I noticed that they also had registers etc for Hortham Colony, as they are part of the same group.The same rules will probably apply to these records
Good luck to both of you
Nashua.
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Aroots ((In that case..
I know there was one at a place called Coney Hill, just outside Gloucester.
Will see what else I can discover.
There was also the Horton Rd one :D
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What was Delancey Grace?
I know it is used for care of the elderly now, but not sure of its history.
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Thank you..
Ele.
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The original message is rather old now and perhaps worshipper has already resolved her query. My mother was a nurse at Hortham Colony from its opening until 1940. It was quite an innovative hospital apparently as the children and young people didn't have to wear uniforms (!) and they were self sufficient in many ways. Patients were placed there with conditions that would enable them to lead normal lives in the community these days, so worshipper shouldn't be overly dismayed at her ancestor's placement there. The nurses took them on camping holidays too.
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Thank you for your information. its nice to know Hortham was such an enlightened place. It was my husband's mother who was sent there in the early forties after having a second illegitimate child. She was in her early twenties and had not had a good early life or the right family support. She was released from there eventually but i have not been able to trace her since. Thank you so much.