RootsChat.Com

Dear all, following the news programmes today and much talk about adoptions and mother and baby homes, I began to look into Elmleigh House where I was 16 years old, pregnant and sent here by my family as they were horrified at my becoming pregnant. My parents told family and friends that I was at Agricultural college, until I was able to return home. I was here in Jan-March 1980. It has been very interesting reading these posts. I must admit that i’m now nearly 60 years old and I feel so naive at the prospect of my baby possibly being sold to wealthy people who could not have their own children. My memories are of the lovely gardens with very tall trees and squirrels. I remember someone I called matron who used to sit in the office. It was to her that we went to get our allowance, i do not remember how much it was, but the rest of the money paid for our stay. I remember sharing cooking and cleaning duties, cleaning the windows with newspaper and vinegar. I remember some of the young mothers keeping their babies and living in one room. When I arrived I was in an attic room and as I got bigger I moved to the ground floor. I remember the lounge and tv and a picture on the wall, it was of a very young child with tears from his eyes, not a photo but a painting. I copied this myself and still have it. I only remember one young girl who became my friend. Her name was Helen and she called her baby James, she had her baby after me and she came from London. I would love to hear more about Elmleigh. I also went back to visit once when I was working in the area in early 1990’s i would have been and by then it had been split into two residential properties.