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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Lancashire Lookup Requests => Lancashire => England => Lancashire Completed Lookup Requests => Topic started by: BevBaker on Wednesday 19 June 24 14:06 BST (UK)
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Hello,
I am new to RootsChat.
I am a keen genealogist, writing my Batterham side of the family and I am stuck on one part of my 2nd cousins twice remove, mentioned above.
I have found a lot of information on these 3 girls who were part of a group of 10 Barnardos' girls who boarded the SS Sophocles on 6 November 1924 for Australia.
The one thing I cannot access is their file from "Making Connections" aka Barnardos, as they do not regard me a next of kin. They have acknowledged that as none of these girls had children, and not being in a position to find a closer cousin, this means that their files will never be disclosed.
I can of course read through the lines, and realise their mother lived a very complicated life, but I just want to know whether she "abandoned" her girls or whether they were forcibly removed.
I know this is a long shot, but is anyone here related to them and could claim to be a potential next of kin?
Thank you !
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Welcome to Rootschat, I can't help you but I am sure someone on here will.
Good luck
LM
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Welcome from me too
Florence was 15 & Rosina 16 but I can't see a Doris on the same passenger list - she would have been 20yrs old by then
BOYLE, DORIS BATTERHAM
GRO Reference: 1904 S Quarter in WALSALL Volume 06B Page 805
BOYLE, FLORENCE BATTERHAM
GRO Reference: 1909 D Quarter in LIVERPOOL Volume 08B Page 117
BOYLE, ROSINA AMELIA BATTERHAM
GRO Reference: 1908 J Quarter in LIVERPOOL Volume 08B Page 86
Marriages Dec 1903
BATTERHAM Rosina Amelia Walsall 6b 1338
Boyle William
1911 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWTF-4C8
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1921 census - all three sisters are at Dr Baranrdos Village Homes in Essex.
"Both parents alive" according to the census record.
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Rosina Boyle remarried in 1917 to James Wilkinson
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Rosina Boyle remarried in 1917 to James Wilkinson
Looks like they're in Everton in 1921. He's out of work.
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2 possible deaths for William Boyle - he was 34 in 1911 so possibly the 1914 one
Deaths Dec 1914
Boyle William 37 W.Derby 8b 703
Deaths Dec 1916
Boyle William 37 W.Derby 8b 487
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Liverpool Workhouse Registers
Register Of Children Maintained By Other Institutions (Not Under the Control of the Guardians)
Home for Deaf and Dumb Women and Girls
Date Dec 1914
Name Rosina Boyle
Birth year 1874
Address 113 Rish?? Street
She is recorded as "Deaf & Dumb"
Discharge date April 1915 (Discharged by the Committee)
There's a 1907 Creed Register for mum Rosina, as well.
Mill Road Hospital (West Derby Union Workhouse)
Looks like she has ulcerated tonsills?
Husband is William Boyle (dock labourer)
Address 77 Hartnup Street
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1911 census - both Rosina Amelia and husband William are recorded as deaf and dumb. :(
If William died in 1914 this would tie-in with the Register Of Children Maintained By Other Institutions record above.
Sounds like Rosina wasn't able to cope with the situation circa 1914, and that might explain why her three daughters ended up in Dr Barnardos.
A very sad story.
ADDED
There's a 1912 Creed Register for daughter Florence (age 2).
She was admitted to Mill Road Hospital with bronchial pneumonia.
Father William Boyle (saddler).
Address 86 Towson Street, Everton
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Yes that is correct. Very sad situation.
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I'm not seeing any newspaper reports involving neglect or mistreatment of the three daughters.
Without knowing the actual circumstances, my guess is mum Rosina Amelia had a lot on her plate.
Particularly if she was a widow by 1914. Throw WW1 into the mix, as well.
As noted earlier, she boarded at the Home for Deaf and Dumb Women and Girls from December 1914 to April 1915. (The Home was established by the Liverpool Adult Deaf and Dumb Benevolent Society).
Given the 1915 record note "Discharged by the Committee" I wonder who they were. And were they involved in decisions regarding the children of widowed mothers?
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BevBaker has posted the following on this thread, and it provides some background which may be of use to those trying to assist.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=878849.0
"….. Rosina Amelia Batterham was the daughter of Robert Batterham and Martha Ponton. Robert was a bit of an entrepreneur - rather successful really! He joined the military in 1859, then left the forces and went to Islington before marrying Martha.
Coming back to Rosina Amelia, she had the most challenging of lives: she suffered from Measles when she was small and this could have been the reason that she was deaf (or deaf and "dumb", as they said in those days). She was elected to join the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Margate in 1883 and although her entry records noted her as not very bright, she left school in 1889 with top marks.
She married William Boyle, who was also deaf and as you know had three girls. Her health however was not one of the best and she was admitted to the Mill Road hospital on at least two occasions. Then her husband died of peritonitis on 22 Oct 1914 and from there everything seems to go wrong for her. She also looses her mother in 1915, with whom she lived. She then remaries James Wilkinson, who in turn dies 5 years later of cerebral haemorrhage in 1922. I suppose this is why she "lost" her children to Dr. Barnados'. She remarries a 3rd and last time John Lucey in 1926, who is found dead in the Mersey by drowning. Suicide?
The one thing that really frustrates me is that Barnados' refuse to let me see their file, as I am not, "next of kin". I really just wanted to know whether the children were abandoned, or whether they were removed, as it was often the case in those days."
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John Lucey was 13yrs older than Rosina - he died 1927 aged 66 so b 1861. Rosina died 1950 aged 76
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Completely off topic - but my only daughter was born in Mill Road Hospital in 1983 - and I never knew it was previously a Workhouse .... beautiful building :)
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My maternal grandfather died there in 1935. He was in the hospital part as he had cancer