A bit of a puzzle - any ideas welcome!

[Wendi]

Barnardos have a page regarding research, but it appears to relate only to people who have been in their care.  I wonder if it would be worth contacting them to ask about your quest

http://www.rootschat.com/links/07t/

[jacdee]

Thanks Wendi, i'll try and get in touch with them.
Do you think that the Northumberland record office would have the orphanage records too?

Jacdee

[Wendi]

jacdee

You are doing Family History Research, -  leave no stone unturned 

Much luck
and
Don't forget to let us all know how you get on

Wendi

[jacdee]

Thanks, I'm going to email someone at Barnardos and see if they can help.
I just think its so sad that the children obviously thought their mother was dead, and she had no contact with them for the rest of her life (even if that was only 7 years). And yet she died not very far from where the children were. I can't begin to imagine how jane must of felt  - being so close to her children, but not having any contact with them. Its so harsh.

Jacdee

[nashua]

Hi Jacdee,

Barnardo's will search for you for a fee ( I paid £20 for an initial search) but I think it costs more if they actually find any records. I had to have the request form signed by my mother as closest living relative when I applied for details of my grandmother.

Good luck

Nashua

[jacdee]

Hi Nashua
Thanks for that info. I've just sent an email to Barnardos, so fingers crossed they'll be able to help. Where did you get the request form from?

Jacdee

[suey]

Hello Jacdee - have sent you a pm.

http://www.rightofplace.irl.com/page5.html  try this link there is a downloadable form

May have to scrub that i've just noticed it has an address in Dublin 

[nashua]

Hi Jacdee

Barnardos sent me the form, and also a list of other organisations I could try as they werent successful in their search.  Although they told me there was a 3-6 month waiting list ( in 2004 ) I had a reply in one month.
regards

Nashua

[hpjrt]

I concur with what others had to say.  There is a good chance that the mother just couldn't keep them. 

My husband's grandmother, Ivy, was in a similar position.  Her father died ... and her mother simply couldn't afford to keep the kids.  The older boys went into the Navy ... the older girls were already out of the house ... but Ivy was put into a Bernardo home ... and sent over to Canada where she was fortunate in her placement.  Some weren't nearly so lucky.

Ivy eventually reconnected to her siblings ... some in New Zealand ... some still in England ... but she never forgave her mother.  When one of her siblings informed her that their mother had died ... Ivy just didn't care.

Very sad ... but without the breadwinner, it was very hard to make ends meet.  I suspect that no mother relinquished her children without considerable angst ...

So ... perhaps it was better that your grandfather think his mother was dead.  That was preferrable to his knowing that she continued to live but didn't come and get him.

Good luck

Mary