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Genealogy

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Original poster

Orphanage records

12 replies

Terloz · 23/05/2023 18:23

Has anyone had any success at retrieving records from an orphanage? I’m looking at mid 40’s to mid 50’s. Individual is deceased and I was executor (I’ve read that can make a difference). The institution is closed. I won’t name names but it’s a religious order who still exist. I’ve written to them and got an almost instant response that they don’t have records and don’t know where they are?! I’ve read you can approach social services but I’m uncomfortable taking their time when they need to help the living. Any experience anyone can share?

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GulesMeansRed · 25/05/2023 07:58

Well they might be telling the truth. Lots of places haven't kept records for all sorts of reasons. At a time when records were boxes and boxes of bits of paper which were heavy and bulky, often organisations just got rid.

Social services may have information, may not. Adoption worked very differently in the past. Being directly related to the individual concerned, you may be asked to provide a death cert to prove they have died.

OttoGraph · 27/05/2023 15:14

What is it that you want to find from the records of an orphanage? Its possible that there is another source for this information?

When was the person born and do you know how or why the were placed in an orphanage? or is this what you are trying to ascertain? Where they adopted?

Original poster

Terloz · 27/05/2023 18:57

@OttoGraph Placed late 40’s due to family break up. Not an orphan. Not adopted.I’d like to know why they were left there, when exactly, a photo would be great as there are no childhood pictures. I’m also told they were scheduled for child migration so I’d like to know about that too.

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OttoGraph · 28/05/2023 19:09

@Terloz. family break up would be the reason for being placed in the orphanage (often they were called children homes)

If a mother went into hospital to have an operation for example, the children would often be placed in the children home for the duration of the hospital stay as dad would still be working and couldn't look after the children on top of the working. This happened quite often.

So a family break up, this could cause the children to be placed in a children's home.

Without you naming names it makes it difficult to know where to point you. Can you tell me the county that the children's home/orphange was located? Any clue as to name of place etc They've told you the records can't be found, but they may have been deposited somewhere else before the people working their now where there - if you see what I mean.

I know you don't want to bother social services, but it's often not social services that hold the records any longer and it would be an archivist somewhere from he same county that conducts a search. Council records from the 1950s wouldn't be int he social services office, but in the council archive if they have survived.

OccasionalHope · 28/05/2023 19:11

As an archivist in a local authority archive, I can say that’s not necessarily the case, certainly with records of children in care.

Waydugo · 28/05/2023 19:29

I obtained all the records for a family member who was bought up in an orphanage of the Sisters of Nazareth. Their head office had some info but the main records pertaining to why this person was sent to the orphanage were held by Father Hudson’s charity. Could it be a similar situation? I believe a lot of the Catholic homes (certainly in the Midlands) were under the umbrella of this charity hence why they had them. The person wasn’t an orphan but I’ve now got all the court proceedings as to why they were sent there. This was early 20th century though. Might be something to investigate?

Original poster

Terloz · 28/05/2023 21:05

Thanks all for trying to help. This relates to the North West of England. Religious order is from Europe. Relative had a terrible time. There are global class actions still ongoing against this religious organisation. @Waydugo circumstances sound similar to your relative though not Midlands. I’ve joined a few history groups from the area to seek further info on the orphanage. I just want confirmation of the circumstances of entry, and a photo if there is one as I have no childhood photos.

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Original poster

Terloz · 28/05/2023 21:08

Also @Waydugo im glad you got the records. It’s the past I know but there’s a strong desire for me to know. I hope getting the information brought you some sort of resolution.

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Waydugo · 28/05/2023 22:50

Thank you. Yes it answered a lot of questions for us as a family. I hope you can find some answers!

OttoGraph · 29/05/2023 06:40

OccasionalHope · 28/05/2023 19:11

As an archivist in a local authority archive, I can say that’s not necessarily the case, certainly with records of children in care.

It was in the archive I worked in, I would have to search the records for the requests. I guess it differs from county to county

OccasionalHope · 29/05/2023 08:33

I’m sure it does. Ours are housed in modern records rather than archives, but only one designated employee gets to see those records, and then only at the request of SS, who handle the requests from outside,

Original poster

Terloz · 29/05/2023 10:14

Sounds like I need to look at both routes, social services and county archives. To be honest, the 2 line reply I got from the organisation took a matter of minutes to pop back and seemed almost flippant. I suspect they fear litigation and continuing bad publicity so just don’t want to engage. I may see if I can get to the county archive and then try social services. Thanks for the help.

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