foster care paperwork in 1865

[AgnesR.S K]

My ancester put 2 children into fostercare in 1866 and 1888, how do I find paperwork on the cases to find out why they were placed and where?
Ant advice is welcome.

[Valda]

It depends what you mean by foster care.
Where they placed in a children's home like Dr. Barnardoes? In which case the paperwork where it survives will be with that society or possibly with a local record office for other childrens' homes that no longer survive (though neither might the paperwork).
If they went into the poor law system (the equivalent of C19th council care) then what paperwork survives will be with the local county record office. That would be information like workhouse admission registers and then probably a local children's home admissions book.
There would be a lot less information from the poor law system than you would find with a society like Barnardoes but still worth following up.
If it was a private arrangement then there would be nothing surviving.

Regards

Valda

[AgnesR.S K]

Hi Valda,
Thanks for the reply.  All I discovered is that the said child was listed as 'foster son' on the census records. Maybe it was a private arrangement, I just don't know how to go about finding out what the circumstances were at that time.
Agnes

[Valda]

If you give more details about the two foster children perhaps it might be possible to advise you further on what records might be worth searching in hope of finding more information.

Regards

Valda

[AgnesR.S K]

I don't have much info to go on...The first child is on the census record 1871 with his birth name listed as foster son of Mr and Mrs Guest who were living  in Staffordshire, quite close to the boys' natural grandparents which adds more mystery.  Why didn't they take him in if the mother couldn't take care of him. 20yrs later the same woman put her daughter into care for a while...that is what a living relative has told me but they don't know any details.
Is there any hope of finding out ?  Her son died aged 20 and her daughter was born that same year.( 1908) Social services for that area...Sandwell council said there are no records from that time.  Is it time to give up my search???
Agnes

[Valda]

Agnes

Sandwell council didn't exist in 1908. It was formed only in 1974. Today Sandwell is made up of Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. In 1908 all these towns were in Staffordshire or possibly Worcestershire. Have you contacted Staffordshire Record Office or Lichfield Record Office?

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/archives/

In 1908 there was no council social services only poor law unions. At least some of the towns now in Sandwell were in Dudley poor law union.

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/Dudley/Dudley.shtml

Workhouse records held by Dudley archives and possibly any other poor law records (this concerns children who came into poor law care) for those towns in Dudley union.

http://www.dudley.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/local-history--heritage/archive-and-local-history

The other towns were in West Bromwich poor law union

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/WestBromwich/WestBromwich.shtml

Any surviving poor law records are probably with Staffordshire archives.

The poor law unions were the equivalent of council care today. Their records are likely to have been handed over to record offices before Sandwell council came into existence. I doubt people working for Sandwell social services today have much historically knowledge of poor law unions, which legally ceased to exist in 1930, but in reality finally gave up the remainder of their power with the formation of the Welfare State in 1947.

I can't comment on the 1871 census child because all the information you give is for a foster child only somewhere in Staffordshire. I checked the 1871 census index for foster children in Staffordshire and none came up living with a family called Guest, so I don't I'm afraid know which area of Staffordshire he was living in or where he was born - necessary knowledge for where records concerning him might be held today.

Your figures don't seem to add up - the foster son died aged 20 in 1908 but was on the 1871 census?

Regards

Valda

[seahall]

Hi Agnes

As an ex- Dr Barnardo Child and having only requested my own records of being in care in 2004 I can say that any information required from the time period you state would be scant or none exist.

I was told that the organization never thought that people would have access to them in later years and many of my own pages finish without the following page as it was not mirco-filmed.     

You may find mention of them in the Workhouse minutes books if any survive.

Best of luck.

Sandy




 

[seahall]

Hi again Agnes

This web link may help you on the history of Dr Thomas Barnardo
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history.htm

His 1st home was started in 1870 for Boys.

Here is copy of my cross-stitch of him which the After Care Staff kindly have hanging
in the Visitor Office for Old Boys and Girls at Barkingside.

Sandy

[AgnesR.S K]

Thanks for the replies.  I did write the wrong date...sorry!  The boys name was Charles Oliver Booker born in 1888 he was on the 1891 census as a foster son of Hannah and Albert Guest. (Warley, Worcester)  The boys' real father, Christopher Oliver Booker, seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth after his marriage to Agnes R. S.Keene, the boys mum, in that same year 1888.  Agnes went on to re-marry in 1908 and had a girl...winifred agnes Johnson.  This child was 'in care' for a while, don't know where or when but was living in Chorlton upon Medlock . Census info is not yet available.  I do know that mother and daughter were living together in later years and Agnes did get her daughter back.(living relatives told me this!)
Agnes