Smelt House was a "mother and baby home" set up, and run by Durham County Council. It was located on Bridge Street, Howden-le-Wear. It appears to have opened sometime between late 40's/early 1950's and closed in around 1975. At some point during it's operational life the name was changed from Smelt House to Fir Tree Grange, but it's purpose remained the same.
When it opened it was the state's equivalent to the many church based mother and baby homes in operation at the time. As this home was operated by Durham County Council then they should have archived records for the place. The boundaries up there have changed so much over the years, I'm not sure which council/county council would apply now, but it will be whichever council covers the area where Smelt House was.
If it's of any use Smelt House was in the south west of the Diocese of Durham, which may have bearing as mother and baby homes back then often had ties with the church..
"Clairmont" was located on Princes Street, Bishop Auckland and is/was a big mansion. It started life as a ladies boarding school and then became a maternity hospital, NOT A MOTHER AND BABY HOME. It seems to have been a maternity hospital from at least the 1920's until the 1970's. Maternity services were taken over by Bishop Auckland general hospital in the mid 70's and from that point on Clairmont seems to have been vacated and left to rot.
As Clairmont seems to have been a state run institution then I would imagine either the local council or the NHS will hold records for the place. The NHS is only likely to hold records from 1948, not sure where pre NHS records would be held.
This comment of yours is intriguing:
"There is also something strange on the GRO site, my sister birth is registered but with another surname for the mother".
pm inbound northernMal!
https://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/DurhamCC/Top photo = Smelt House/Fir Tree Grange
Bottom photo = Clairmont
