St Vincents Convent, Watford

[A Hunter]

Hi I am trying to trace admission and discharge records for St Vincents Convent and St Catherines Home for boys, both in Watford. My Grandmother Winifred Jones and her sister Eva and 2 brothers Edward and Lionel were sent from Bangor in N Wales to the above "homes" after their mother died around 1894.  I have them them all there on 1901 census, but I dont know where they went afterwards. (have tried 1911 census). Any help in tracing the records would be most welcome.  Many thanks

[heywood]

Hello and welcome.

I can see Winifred and Lionel in 1901. There is also a Margaret - no Eva.
There is an Edward Jones born London - is that your family also.

With regard to 1911 - where did Winifred marry? Did she stay in the Watford area?
This has some reference to the schools http://www.holyroodrc.com/history/schools.html

regards
heywood

[A Hunter]

Many thanks Heywood, yes they are my family, Edward was a half brother and Margaret is Eva. She ws Eva Margaret, it maybe that as these "homes" were run by Roman Catholic orders, they put the saints name first.  Sorry I should have made myself more clear.  I have later info around 1927 onwards. Various places Blackpool, Southport, Liverpool and Manchester.  It is the bit in between leaving the "Homes" and arriving in the North. This is why I wondered if anyone new if there are any records and if so where they maybe.  I have telephoned the Hertfordshire Library Archive centre, they dont have them.  They thought thay maybe held by a Catholic Archive somewhere. Again many thanks.  (I am new to Roots Chat so hope this message gets through to you).

[heywood]

You may very well be right re the name change - happened to my friend, the nuns preferred the second name - more fitting!

Watford is in the Westminster diocese= maybe there is an archive department http://rcdow.org.uk/

best wishes
heywood

[A Hunter]

Again my thanks Heywood

I will try the link to Westminster diocesess.
I checked out the previous link you sent re the history of the Convent, very interesting.
I appreciate your help, will let you know what information I find.

Thank you A Hunter

[jtas]

Hi,

Have a look at the George Goodman thread here on the hertfordshire line, i know it is now 46 pages long but bgoodman had two of her ancestors at both of these homes. There is alot of interesting information and feed back from other root chatters. The young girl died at st catherines and bgoodman obtained her death certificate which she put on line as well. Are you familiar with the Watford area? I dont think anyone has found the admission/discharge records for the two catholic orphanages. Have you found either of your ancestors in the 1911 census? If you need any help just shout, there are some good rootchatters out there prepared to help.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

jackie

[[Ray]]

Hi

Can we just clarify the members of the family?

From 1901 . . . . .
The girls
(Eva) Margaret 13 bBangor
Winifred 12 bBangor
The list of boys contain the following, are all 3 yours?
Lionel 9 bBangor
Lewis 8 bLondon
Edward 6 bLondon

Are they this family in 1891 Bangor?
RG12 4666 117 page5
James Jones 32 bStPancras PianoTuner
Kathleen 33 bDublin
Edward 6 bDublin
Eva 3 bBangor
Winifred 2 bBangor
Lionel 7mo bBangor
Frederick Jones 16 (Bro) bStPancras
Georgina Hayes 15 (sis-i-l) bDublin

This could be important because (examples)
Areas to search now include StPancras + Dublin
People to search for now include Hayes family + Georgina may have taken them in . . . . . .
Were the children moved to Watford from Bangor or from StPancras (Watford-StP area is a "local rail link)?
 
Have we got the full names?
Not only the Eva/Margaret switch but sometimes they are listed as just initials 

James + Kathleen married in Ireland?
Also may explain the RC link to StVincent?

Ray

[A Hunter]

Hi Ray

Many thanks for the infor re my family:

I can confirm all the family you listed are mine, (except for Lewis b London), and they are also the Jones family living in Bangor. 

I have the birth cert for Edward he was born in Dublin in 1885, Kathleen wasn't married.
I havent been able to trace a marriage in the UK or Ireland for Kathleen + James -- yet.

The children were sent from Bangor to the Orphanages in Watford on the death of their mother in 1893.

I have death certs for both Kathleen (1893) and James (1935) in Bangor and newspaper coverage for both of them.  James never remarried.

I have a marriage cert for Winifred to Albert Brock in 1912 in Liverpool and his death in 1927.
Winifred & her daughter, my Mother Phyllis Brock then went to Manchester to stay with (brother) Lionel.

There is very little information about Eva Margaret. Family oral history says she was a Nanny in Bournemouth, and never married -- this has still to be confirmed.  The 1911 census shows her working in Southport as a bar maid.

Edward appears to have died in WW1 - this is an ongoing enquiry,

My research started because I was trying to locate a record of the birth of my Mother Phyllis Brock, she gave her birthday as 13 May 1913. She said she was adpoted at 2 years old, but would not talk about it. She did not have an original birth cert, saying it was destroyed?? she died in 2004 without giving any information. The only cetificate she had was one that was issued from information supplied by an old school teacher and accepted by St Katherines House. This was sometime shortly after the war.

I was interested in admission and discharge records for the orphanages in Watford, in order to find exactly when they were admitted and where they may have gone immediately afterwards, prior to ending up in the North.

Sorry to write an essay on the topic, but I hope it fills in some gaps.

Again my Thanks and appreciation.

A. Hunter

[A Hunter]

HI Jackie 

Many thanks for your advice and interest.  Yes I have seen the George Goodman thread, that is where I started. I found it interesting.

My thread was moved to this site by 'Manchester Rambler', it was thought this would be a better thread and it seems to be so.  There are a number of people that have been very helpful.

I have posted a reply to 'Ray' - giving more details of my investigating, census returns, marriage and death certificates and other information I have found. If you would care to read that it may make my research a bit clearer.

 I am currently investigating the Westminster diocese, for possible records, (as suggested by Heywood).

 No response as yet. Will keep you posted.

Again my thanks - and appreciation of all the help.

A Hunter