Help Needed Identifying Photo - Orphanage around 1935-38

[trish627]

Hi Stan,

Did the school change names?  The documentation has St. Joseph's closing 1926, but the back of the picture was taken in 1937 or 38 and it says "St. Joseph School, Carmel Road, Co. Durham, Darlington.
Do you know of any other pictures?

Thanks,
Trish

[njlois]

Hi, I'm new to this site, but I just received this very same picture from a friend of my mom's.  My mom just died last month, so I went through her addresses to notify people of her death.  I received a nice card with this picture from the little blonde girl in the front row.  Her name is Norma and my mom is in the back row to the right, my moms name was Philomena, but she went by Pat.  Her sister, my aunt, was also at this school, but was older and her name was Mary Ruby.
The back of the picture says "St Joseph School" 1937 or 1938.

I am completely stunned this is the very same picture.

My mom didn't talk too much about this place, because of the bad memories.

Also stunning news to me. So apparently this was taken after my aunt switched from St. Mary's to St. Joseph's - which means that although she's not in this photo, my Mom was there at the same time.  My Mom (still living) never speaks of it either.   Did you ever contact Norma or whoever sent you the photo?  Recently my cousin sent me a couple of other photos.  I'll have to look through my email for them and post them here.  Perhaps someone may look familiar to you!  So Trish, your Mom and sister were there, and my Mom and her sister were as well.  Coincidences!   I have confirming information that I received from St. Cuthbert's Care.  St. Joseph's was still active in the time period your Mom was there.

[trish627]

I am in the US in Maryland and Norma lives in Illinois.  The only contact I have had with Norma is the recent notice I sent to her about my moms death.  I will contact her now (I only have her address) to ask her of any more information she might have.  My aunt was born in 1924 and my mom was born in 1927, so this would make my mom in this pic about 10 or 11.

Norma did mention that my aunt was in charge of her.  So the older girls probably had the responsibility to take care of the younger ones.

I wish I would have had this before my mom died.  She would have loved to have seen this picture.  Even though I know there were a lot of wounds created at this place.

My mom took me out of Catholic school in the 60's because she was so afraid of the nuns hurting me, like they hurt her.

I will let you know of any information I receive.

Thanks,
Trish

[njlois]

My cousin came across these photos when going through my aunt's things.  I don't know if they are from the St. Mary's time period or the St. Joseph's.   Do any faces look familiar to you?

[trish627]

I don't see any attachment of photos's.

[trish627]

I don't see any attachments of photo's.

[njlois]

I'll try this a different way:

[stanmapstone]

Hi Stan,
Did the school change names?  The documentation has St. Joseph's closing 1926, but the back of the picture was taken in 1937 or 38 and it says "St. Joseph School, Carmel Road, Co. Durham, Darlington. Do you know of any other pictures?
Thanks,
Trish

I assume it was the Certification as an Industrial School which ended on 4th October 1926. Existing Industrial Schools were later merged with reformatories to create the approved school system in 1933.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

"Certified industrial schools were promoted as an alternative to reformatories"
You can read about Industrial Schools at http://www.workhouses.org.uk/IS/

Stan