Londonderry orphanages/girls' homes 1930s-early 1940s

[familybuff]

I'm looking for information about an orphanage/Girls' home, possibly run by the Salvation Army, located in Londonderry in the 1930s and early 40s.  My grandmother (since passed) lived there from ages 12-17, at which point she aged out. She did not attend school while a resident and once told me that the girls had long days full of chores. My grandmother was permitted to still visit with her mother, albeit infrequently. It is possible that it was actually a state run facility for children who were taken away from their parents. I have been searching for this facility for quite awhile with no luck, including just a confirmation that there was such a place and its location, as well as any records that have survived. Thank you!

[Daniel079]

My grandmother was born in Londonderry in 1923, she was also in an orphanage there until she was 9 at which time she was sent to Australia as part of the Fairbridge program

[familybuff]

My grandmother was born in Londonderry in 1923, she was also in an orphanage there until she was 9 at which time she was sent to Australia as part of the Fairbridge program

Any idea which home, Daniel079?  Being sent to another country at such a young age must have been very traumatizing for her!

[Daniel079]

I'm afraid not, all I know is that she was born in Limavady workhouse in between 1923 and 1927 and sent to Australia in 1932 from Southampton. I seem to be hitting a lot of dead ends with this one. I have seen the passenger list with her name on it but everything else may or may not be true. The funny thing is, everyone I have spoken to says there were no Dervin's in Limavady at that time (also that Dervin is not a common Irish name) and there is no record of her birth there.

[kingskerswell]

Daniel,
         A little background info. Limavady workhouse closed in April 1930 when the building was converted into a hospital which opened in 1933. The last remaining healthy inmates were transferred to the workhouse at Coleraine. PRONI holds the records for the workhouse, some dating from 1842 when it opened.

Regards

[Daniel079]

Do you find it unusual that she left from Southampton in 1932? Would there not be closer ports?

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Southampton makes sense. The ship may have sailed from London and called into Southampton to pick up passengers.

Regards

[Daniel079]

Thanks every little bit of information helps. Does anybody know if the children in these homes had their names changed?

[Elwyn Soutter]

As Kingskerswell has said the records for both Limavady and Coleraine workhouses are in PRONI. Those less than 100 years old are closed for privacy reasons. However next of kin can make a Freedom of Information request to PRONI – which is often granted. If so, you’ll probably get redacted information rather than full sight of the originals.

The Board of Guardians minutes (for Coleraine Work House) may well record whether your grandmother was there in 1932 and selected for the Fairbridge programme.

There were no regular sailings from Ireland to Australia in the 1900s and so in most cases you would have had to depart from an English port. So Southampton seems reasonable enough as the port of departure.