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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Heather Gough on Thursday 19 September 19 01:51 BST (UK)
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In 1936 my Aunt gave birth to a baby at 25 West Princes Street, Glasgow. The baby was adopted at birth. I cannot find any real history about the address. Would anyone know if this was a mother and baby home or hospital of some kind? It was not her home address.
Any information or ideas would be appreciated.
Thank you
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Hi Heather,
Looking at the VRs (Valuation Rolls), this was just an address rather than a hospital.
I don't know if this is your relative but it's the address I'm looking at for 1935 as they're 5 yearly.
FERGUSON AGNES (with no 'Mrs' she seems to be single)?
Tenant
ROOMS AND HOUSE 25 WEST PRINCES STREET, GLASGOW
1935
VR010201559-
This can be downloaded from SP & will give the Proprietors name too which isn't indexed.
If your relative was a Lodger she will not be recorded as it's only the Tenant who's listed (payer of rent).
Annie
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Hi Heather,
I think there may well have been a mother & baby home in West Princes Street at this time (but I could be wrong). Not at number 25 but at number 123 West Princes Street.
I have come across the address 123 West Princes Street, Glasgow being referred to as the location of the Glasgow Home for Deserted Mothers on a website - http://www.talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16697
This address is recorded on the valuation rolls for 1930/35/40 as a "Home" - I haven't got any credits to look at the original on Scotlands People to see who the Proprietor was , unfortunately.
This info may or may not be of use to you as the address you are enquiring about is No. 25. But I thought it worth pointing out that there could have been such an establishment on that street in 1936.
Looby :)
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Found a 1938 newspaper birth announcement saying it took place at
a nursing home , 25 West . Princes Street . The family address was given as Bishopbriggs, so possibly meant the West Princes Street in Glasgow.
To give you a visual idea of the Glasgow address https://www.haplettings.co.uk/sales/main-door-no-25-west-princes-street-woodlands-glasgow-g4-9bs/
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121/23 West Princes Street Glasgow is listed in the 1938 Directory as the Home for Deserted Mothers with a Miss Colquhoun named as the Matron. I would doubt, given the name of the place, that any births here would be announced in the papers.
25 West Princes Street is listed as the address of a Nurse Ferguson - so possibly a midwife
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Thank you everyone for your help.
In the wee small hours this morning I found something else.
An Alexander T Brown (AC2 RAF) lived at 25 West Princes Street in 1935 according to an electoral register.
My Aunt Helen Muirhead Montgomery was given £500 by her mother for the birth of her baby. (As stated in Grandmothers will) Helen moved to Airlie Gardens Glasgow and on 29th August 1936 gave birth at 25 West Princes Street to a girl, Mary Crombie Alexander Montgomery who was adopted at birth.
Do you think there are clues in the name?
Mary (Grandmother)
Crombie (Baby's father?)
Alexander (Adopted fathers name?)
Helen returned to the family home in Falkirk, never had anymore children, trained to be a nurse in the 1940's and died aged 50.
Intriguing?
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If Helen registered her daughter's birth I would doubt the names Crombie and Alexander were picked at random ….these names must have had some significance to Helen. Family names? Friends names? Or natural father's name/s?
Mary would be, as you say after maternal grandmother.
My mother, born in the same year, was named after her maternal grandmother - she had same Christian name as her gran and her middle name was her gran's maiden name. This was fairly common.
Looby :)
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Hi Heather
Snap! My birth grandmother also gave birth to a baby at 25 West Princes Street. This was a couple of years later in 1937 and that baby was also put up for adoption.
If it was a mother and baby home, it might have gone by 1939 when my grandmother gave birth to my father (also adopted). He was born at the maternity hospital, which apparently was at 146 - 163 Rottenrow Glasgow G4 0NA until 1963.
Alexander could be a last name as well as a given name.
For what it's worth, it's very possible that some of the your aunt's child's names were after the father. My father was named after his birth father (who was married but acknowledged paternity) but the older child (different father) wasn't. So it depends on the father and the circumstances, but I'd say the Scottish naming traditions do run strong.
Kirsty
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My relative was married in 1912 at 300 West Princes Street. Not sure if this was a hall, or a home or a manse.
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Here is a section of the valuation for 1935
Hope it helps :)
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What was at 300 West Princes Street. Was it a house, flat or something else? :)
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Thank you to everyone for all the information.