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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: northernMal on Monday 18 November 24 13:28 GMT (UK)
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Hi everyone, newbie here. My sister started trying to locate her past, it started just as where lived etc but then after acquiring full birth certificate found out she wasn't born in the area she was told but in Clairmont Bishop Auckland. We believe the girls were sent from Smelt House a mother and baby home to Clairmont to have their babies. I have tried contacting the local archives but to be honest no help at all. Just wondering if anyone on here knows anything about the place. This was in 1957 and my mother was liaising with a married man, we all have the same father. My parents later married once he was divorced. There is also something strange on the GRO site, my sister birth is registered but with another surname for the mother, this was later corrected in 1966 when father was added to the certificate. Any info, pointers or just anything miniscule would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone
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I don't think this will help much, but the Northern Echo newspaper ran an article a few years back on the Manor House in Howden-le-Wear. Near the beginning of the article it mentions that in the '50's it was a mother and baby home, and if you keep reading, later in the article it says it was once called the Smelt House.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/northdurham/16219830.manor-house-howden-le-wear-colourful-past-now-sale/
Edit: check out this, maybe there are some helpful links on it (it does mention Smelt House)
https://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/DurhamCC/
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Welcome to RootsChat.
Again, doesn't necessarily help with why she was born in Clairmont, - Some advertisements for nurses/matrons for Mother and Baby Hostel Smelt House, Howden-le-Wear - in the "Nursing Times" 1956 and 1961.
What is the address in Clairmont? Is it a private residence or another Hostel?
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https://photography.daveb.co.uk/images/014091816-claremont
https://www.filepicker.io/api/file/vnWXnCRbS5CVYw5h3ujO
Clairmont or Claremont was apparently a maternity hospital in Bishop Auckland.
It may be that the mother and baby home sent mothers there from Howden-le-Wear if there was a need for more medical attention.
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Thank you everyone, I really appreciate your help and this will help anyone in the same position as our family.
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Have you tried enquiring at Howdon le Wear Local History Society?
There is a contact name on this page https://www.durhamlocate.org.uk/Services/1326/Howden-le-Wear-Local
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Oh wow, brilliant, I had one email but this page provides lots. I will email all the other email addresses. Thank you
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Apparently when it became a Mother and Baby Home Smelt House was more usually known as 'Fir Tree Grange'.
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Thank you so much.
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Smelt House was a "mother and baby home" set up, and run by Durham County Council. It was located on Bridge Street, Howden-le-Wear. It appears to have opened sometime between late 40's/early 1950's and closed in around 1975. At some point during it's operational life the name was changed from Smelt House to Fir Tree Grange, but it's purpose remained the same.
When it opened it was the state's equivalent to the many church based mother and baby homes in operation at the time. As this home was operated by Durham County Council then they should have archived records for the place. The boundaries up there have changed so much over the years, I'm not sure which council/county council would apply now, but it will be whichever council covers the area where Smelt House was.
If it's of any use Smelt House was in the south west of the Diocese of Durham, which may have bearing as mother and baby homes back then often had ties with the church..
"Clairmont" was located on Princes Street, Bishop Auckland and is/was a big mansion. It started life as a ladies boarding school and then became a maternity hospital, NOT A MOTHER AND BABY HOME. It seems to have been a maternity hospital from at least the 1920's until the 1970's. Maternity services were taken over by Bishop Auckland general hospital in the mid 70's and from that point on Clairmont seems to have been vacated and left to rot.
As Clairmont seems to have been a state run institution then I would imagine either the local council or the NHS will hold records for the place. The NHS is only likely to hold records from 1948, not sure where pre NHS records would be held.
This comment of yours is intriguing:
"There is also something strange on the GRO site, my sister birth is registered but with another surname for the mother".
pm inbound northernMal!
https://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/DurhamCC/
Top photo = Smelt House/Fir Tree Grange
Bottom photo = Clairmont