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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) => Topic started by: Ben Lomond on Wednesday 23 October 19 21:13 BST (UK)

Title: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: Ben Lomond on Wednesday 23 October 19 21:13 BST (UK)
I'm trying to find out what children's home would some young family members who lived in Uphall in 1907 have been put in after their parents had died?

Their dad died in 1902 and their mother died in 1907. Both are buried in Uphall cemetery.
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: Istrice on Wednesday 23 October 19 21:53 BST (UK)
Try contacting the West Lothian Family History Society (www.wlfhs.org.uk) (http://(www.wlfhs.org.uk)).  They may be able to assist.

Regards
Istrice
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: Ben Lomond on Wednesday 23 October 19 22:04 BST (UK)
Thanks.

 :)
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: mosstrooper on Wednesday 30 October 19 22:10 GMT (UK)
According to this News Paper Wallhouse Childrens Home near Torphichen, Bathgate was the first of its kind in Scotland, opened in 1946, much too late for your children, so you may have to think of other ways to go.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/memory-lane-celebrating-70th-anniversary-9567531

Prior to that date it would be The Poorhouse - see here

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/memory-lane-looking-after-west-9536763

Here is a Roots Topic from the past giving you the way to obtain Poor House Records.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=484305.0

James
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: MonicaL on Thursday 31 October 19 21:10 GMT (UK)
Hi Ben

Have you tried looking for them in the 1911 census?

Monica
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: raonull4 on Sunday 03 November 19 09:50 GMT (UK)
try searching industrial schools there was few  in edinburgh area
such as Thomas Guthries from the mid 1800s till late 1900s

Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 03 November 19 11:12 GMT (UK)
I'd start with the 1911 census as Monica suggests.
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: Ben Lomond on Monday 04 November 19 07:24 GMT (UK)
Thanks very much for the replies. The 3 kids were taken back to Donegal by relatives before 1911 and are in the census there.
Title: Re: Children's home in 1907 in Uphall/Broxburn area.
Post by: Forfarian on Monday 04 November 19 09:06 GMT (UK)
Thanks very much for the replies. The 3 kids were taken back to Donegal by relatives before 1911 and are in the census there.
They may never have been in a children's home as such.

Orphaned children would have been dealt with by the parochial board. An application for 'relief' would have been made to the board, which would have decided what to do with them. Their options were basically to send them to the poorhouse, or to pay someone to look after them in their home. This could be a relative, or someone completely unrelated. I think most parochial boards preferred to board children out with someone, but this was not always possible.

The board would always try to find someone else to take on the responsibility (and expense) of looking after paupers including orphans. It may be that the board contacted the relatives in Donegal and asked them to take the responsibility, and that the relatives preferred to take the children home with them rather than pay for their upkeep in West Lothian.

If - and it's a big if - the records of the Uphall Parochial Board have survived, that's where to look for the answer. If they have not, then I think the chances are that the children were taken to the poorhouse rather than to a specific children's home.

There wasn't a poorhouse in every parish. Often a group of parochial boards would pool resources and provide a combination poorhouse for a group of parishes.

I am sure that WLFHS will know about poorhouses in West Lothian and about surviving parochial board records.