Barnardoes

[ValJJJ]

The problem is that Barnardo was used as an umbrella term for a home or a charity for children.  Bit like calling a vacuum cleaner a Hoover. 

We have this Barnardo problem in a part of the family I've been researching, yet Barnado's have no record of the children concerned.

[Norfolk Nan]

Very good point   

[Darnity]

Hi Darnity - was that in Stony Stratford?  I remember the building and heard stories of it's original use.  Hadn't thought of that in years, thanks for the reminder.

I know this lad went to Barnardoes because he was always the 'brother who went to Barnardoes' in conversations I wasn't supposed to be listening to.  As he was talked about so openly amongst the adults I can't think he would have been sent abroad and there must have been a good reason for him to be put into care.  But there are children in my tree who were sent to Canada, I hope it was a good move for them, you hear some sad tales.

Yes, Mr Fegan's in Stony Stratford - the building is still there but has other uses nowadays.

[PrawnCocktail]

My great-aunt's husband and two of his sisters were put into care following the death of their father, in 1907. Not Barnados, it was National Children's Homes, now Action for Children (which is where we got some paperwork from).

I found him in Essex in 1911 (he was from Yorkshire), boarded out with a family. I put him and the family up on Lost Cousins, and one of the family contacted me. She told me they had planned to take him with them when they emigrated to Canada (I think shortly after the census), but his mother refused permission, to their great sadness. His sisters were both in orphanages, but not the same one.

He eventually joined the police, married my great aunt, and lived on Tyneside. Lovely man.