Doriscourt Nursing Home Whalley Range

[LizzieW]

Hi Liz

When I eventually told my husband he just asked why I'd not told him as soon as my daughter had got in touch and his next question was "When are we going to see her?".  My husband and I have met her a few times and my husband loves her as I do.

My husband and I have 6 children (oddly we have 5 of our own and also one we adopted!).  They are 1 daughter and 5 sons.  Our sons were totally unphased when I told them they had a half sister, and one of them and his wife has met her, but our daughter doesn't want anything to do with her half-sister, which is difficult to say the least.  Her brothers reckon it's because having thought she was the firstborn she now feels pushed out of her position in the family.

My adopted daughter doesn't live in UK and one of my sons lives in USA so it's not easy for us all to meet up anyway.   I'm sure we'll work things out sooner or later though.

Lizzie

ps.  My OH and I have also met the couple who adopted my daughter, they welcomed us with open arms and were so grateful to me for the daughter I gave them, whereas I feel grateful for the fact that they adopted her and gave her a wonderful life.

[lib58]

my Husband was born in 1956.I've been under the impression that this was a 'Private Maternity Hospital.'As My Mother-in-Law didn't want a NHS Hospital.From what My Mother-in-Law has always said.My Husband and I Live just 10 mins from where it was.My In laws were not Catholics but C of E.So could anyone give Birth there and keep their Babies?

[LizMyrra]

Dear lizzie,  Many thanks for answering my questions, I want you to know my adopted family are wonderful and I have had a marvellous childhood, so hold no grudge about my adoption, i feel sure i will trace my birth mother, only hoping she is still alive...... but i would like her to know that I am ok and have had a good life surrounded by people who have loved and cared for me unconditionally..... i am sure all weren't so lucky........... As i get older though i do feel some responsability to find her and hopefully put her mind at rest that she did right by me..... I only hope that she too had a good life following what must have been a traumatic time.......
Thankyou for being so open it really has helped me and made me more determined to find her...
Love Liz x

[LizzieW]

So could anyone give Birth there and keep their Babies?

lib58

Yes, I got the impression when I was there, that apart from me and the other unmarried girls, the other women were married and probably fairly middle class.  I always assumed that it was a private nursing home and that the girls who were there as unpaid skivvies had parents who could afford to pay for their upkeep and the fees for the home.  The married women, who were generally older than me, so probably in their mid to late 20s always had their husbands visiting them and other visitors in the afternoons, whereas the girls like me were lucky if anyone visited.  My parents came after I'd had the baby, but not before although I was in from Monday to Friday before she was born and then they didn't come again until the day I left, when they came to collect me, but they never saw my baby.  It seems unbelievable today but "what the neighbours thought" was far more important than what their unmarried daughter wanted.   Oh well c'est la vie. 

Lizzie

[lib58]

Thanks LizzieW for your reply.My Mother-in-Law wasn't middle class or had money she was in her late 20's married.both My In laws weren't from Wealthy Families just local to the area but she had a Local Jewish Doctor so maybe she got the idea from him!I think it was more to impress people.My Husband was brought up in a Council House from being born.I just found it shocking and sad that there were Young Girls giving up their Babies when My Husband was born.I told My Husband it wasn't so 'Private' as his Mother made it out to be.In My own Family going back to 1905 there were babies born out of wedlock but the Relatives kept their Babies no matter what anyone thought.I can't imagine what a young Mum must of gone through when they had to hand their Baby over and then when the Adopted Children look for their Mothers.Also I'm Catholic from that area and so many times at School the Children's Rescue Society was always wanting donations.I'm just so shocked by coming across this.

[LizzieW]

Hi lib58

I guess the girls who went to Doriscourt, were slightly luckier than the ones who had to go to mother and baby homes.  The saving grace, although it didn't seem like it at the time, was that you went home after 10 days after giving birth(that was the norm in those days) and left the baby behind, whereas in the mother and baby homes, it was common for the girls to have to look after their babies for 3 months before handing them over for adoption. 

The reason I went there to have the baby was probably because my dad spoke to one of his friends who was a Jewish doctor.  I was fortunate, as I've said before, that there was no room for me to live there prior to the birth, so I stayed with a lovely lady and her two young sons.  She was divorced (from a famous TV celeb of the time) and for that she was also almost an outcast, so I guess she was glad for the company of another adult (well I was 19) and some money from my parents.

Lizzie

[mgs1960]

  Lizzie,
  Fascinating coming across your account of Doriscourt!  I've just joined the forum today after googling the name and coming across your entry.
  My mother would have started working there around May 1960 (she was an SRN  from Southern Ireland  but I imagine she may well have been one of the skiffies!) 
  I was born at the end of July although a birth certificate has an address in London (it's a hotel!) a few days later in August.  Just pulled some old documentation, the Guardian ad Litem report, in which the Matron mentions my mother continued working there until mid Oct.  Strange seeing my mothers handwriten note consenting to any kinnoculations etc - turquoise ballpoint!
 Believe I have a b/w postcard of the nursing home - was it quite a large place?  May be able to do an attachment at a later date if you're interested.
  Thank you very much for renewing my interest and giving me a feel for the place.

  Regards, Paddy

[LizzieW]

Hi Paddy

I'd love a copy of the postcard you have.  It's a long time ago now, but I seem to remember that it was like a very large Victorian house.  I remember a corridor and there must have been rooms off it, but I can only remember a toilet and a delivery room at the end of the corridor where my baby was born.  After that I seem to remember being in an upstairs room where there were 3 or 4 other women, and my parents came to see me but didn't see the baby.  None of the babies were kept in the wards like today, when it wasn't time to feed them (4 hourly) they were all kept in the nursery.  I remember being in a downstairs room with a bay window when my mother came to collect me to take me home.  My mind is a total blank about everything else during the 10 days I was there.  I suppose I've blanked it out because it wasn't a happy experience.  As I can remember everything about my stays in other maternity homes after my other children were born.

I don't remember signing anything relating to innoculations etc, but I suppose I must have done if your mother did.

Lizzie

[mgs1960]

  Lizzie,

  Must apologize!  After reading your description of the building I realised it didn't sound like the one on the postcard.  I'd been led to believe it was Doriscourt but I'm now sure it's a different address and it's Stockport Sunday School!
  My apologies once more - then again, at least I've learn't that whilst it isn't Doriscourt, I have an idea of what it was like from your recollections.  Thank you.

 Paddy