RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: TamlaDawn on Saturday 09 June 18 14:08 BST (UK)
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Hi all,
I've recently discovered that my nan had a half brother the family knew nothing about.
He was born in Fulham in 1916 and as this was pre adoption time I suppose he would have been given over to a children's home?
Does anyone know how I can find out where any local homes in that time would have been? And also how to go about tracing who was accepted into one?
Thank you
TamlaDawn
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Not answering your question but he may also have just been handed over to another family to bring up.
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There is actually a website called "Former Childrens' Homes (http://www.formerchildrenshomes.org.uk)". I have no idea how comprehensive or indeed acurate this is.
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My great grandmother in law from Fulham was orphaned in 1918, she grew up in a Barnados home in Surrey
One of her brothers was one of the British Home Children sent to Australia (born not long after your great uncle also in Fulham)
You may want to try on here to see if that also happened to him http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/dbsig/index.php
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Thanks everyone 😀
After a bit more digging I found that he was admitted to st Luke's work house on the day of his birth... also that both he and his mum were discharged 4 months later and an address has even been provided..very helpful!
The address was in Walworth and I have a death cert for him in 1989 near Peckham. So he didn't seem to move much in his life.
Just so intrigued as to who raised him as I am almost certain it wasn't a family member..we have no ties at all to this area.
What did people do with their babies back then?! There must be some traceability...mustn't there?!
I'll check out the children's homes next...I take it you couldn't leave a baby at a work house, or I am sure she would have...
Thanks
Tamladawn
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You could leave them in the workhouse
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As he's deceased why not give us his name and maybe we can find some more info on here for you
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Try www.childrenshomes.org.uk - from the same author as www.workhouses.org.uk.
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Well lovely, thanks!
Born John Henry Field 31.12.1916
In Fulham
Died 15.5.1989 21 nutbrook rd, se15
On leaving the workhouse he went to 24 bagshot street, walworth
He never seems to have married or had children. He was known as Jack Field.
Mother Edith Alberta Field born in Plymouth 1893
Thanks detectives!
Tami
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Would this baptism record be him? it's got an extra first name but the rest matches
Born 31 Dec 1916
Baptised May 27 1917
Michael John Henry Field living 24 Bagshot Street, Walforth, son of John Henry (Soldier in QFA) and Edith
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This is an incredible find thank you!
It now looks more likely someone raised him which I am so pleased about.
Edith married a Bertram Watson in December 1917 and she definitely didn't raise John/Jack/Michael at all... I wonder who John Henry snr was...what does qfa stand for please?
Thank you so much
Tamladawn
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The baptism register is headed All Saints, Newington
Fathers occupation was Soldier in R.F.A (Royal Field Artillery)
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-royal-artillery-in-the-first-world-war/batteries-and-brigades-of-the-royal-field-artillery/
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In the 1939 census he appears to be living with a couple called Brown in Southwark who were approx 35 years old than him
Of course it may just be that he was lodging there as it doesn't give relationships, but they may be worth looking into as at 22 he may still have been living at home with the couple who raised him
If you have his birth certificate and it doesn't name a father then John Henry Field may be made up (or it may be that the father was called John Henry or John Henry something)
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George Edward Brown & Mary Lilian Brown appear on electoral registers up to 1938 at 24 Bagshot Street.
They appear to have married in 1910.
Dec qtr 1910
Brown George E
Fraser Mary L
Southwark 1d 34
George was 28 and a widower. Mary was 31
Marriage image is on Ancestry
They appear to have had children of their own.
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Wow! Thank you for this information.
I do have his birth cert and there is no father named...or mention of his name being Michael! His death cert refers to him as simply Jack Field.
So I need to find out who the Browns were and how Edith knew them..(groan...why called Brown and not something more unusual!!)
Thank you as ever for taking the time to look up details, so appreciated. My nan is still living (96!) and it's great to be abe to tell her things about a half brother she never knew about 😁
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I have to say considering the situation at that point in time I did wonder if the father may have been killed in WW1 and related to one of the Browns
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Ahhh I hadn't even considered that...thank you...this thrashing of ideas is so helpful. I find I get stuck on a train of thought and don't seem to consider another option :-\