Cavendish House, Ainsdale, Southport - school

[mabeljessie]

My husband's aunt died as a 9yr old of TB in 1922 on her death cert it has the place of death as "Cavendish House, Ainsdale, Southport".

There was no post mortem as she had TB for 1yr and death certified by Doctor. The cert also appears to be signed by a "R.N Chetwood" so wondering if it is a registered nurse and not just her initials as it says "present at her death" and is no relative to the family. They actually lived in Leicester.

We have looked up Cavendish House on the internet and it has since been demolished, but wondering if anyone can help with any background - was it a sanatorium, who owned it and who may hold the records. We have looked at National Archives Voluntary Hospitals database and nothing there.

Any other suggestions welcomed, we are in Australia so can't visit places personally.

Cheers
mabeljessie

[Barbara.H]

Seed's Directory for Southport 1924-5 has this in the alphabetical section
"Cavendish House School for Mentally Deficient Children, 801 Liverpool Rd, medical officer Dr H West, principal Miss L J Allen"

This might be what you've already found:
http://www.formby.gb.com/showthread.php?t=50401525&page=1

It says Liverpool Road, but I can't see any mention of it having been an institution. Its a lovely building though. There is a newspaper cutting from 1972 saying that Bill Tidy the cartoonist had a flat there!

  Barbara

[mabeljessie]

Hi Barbara,

Thanks so much it sounds right, we believed she may have had a disability prior to the TB but were not sure this helps confirm that theory.

The medical officer who signed the death cert in 1922 was H Reid  M.B for anyone else following the history of the house.

Yes that was the link we had already found, it was a rather stunning building and sad to see that it was demolished.

Thanks again for your help
mabeljessie

[mabeljessie]

Thanks to Barbara we now know it is a school for Mentally Deficient Children.

I was wondering if anyone knows who would hold the records for this institution.  I know the 100yr rule probably applies however we have birth and death certs of the person and are next of kin and would like for medical purposes.
It is really hard these days in small families when people have kept secrets for many, many years.

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

Cheers
mabeljessie

[Gibel]

I think it's unlikely that any records survive. Was your relative local or did she come from a distance to Cavendish House?

Cavendish house is mentioned a few times in the book New Ainsdale the struggle of a seaside suburb 1850 - 2000 by Harry Foster but not as a school but as an orphanage for girls (1930s) . It was demolished in the 1960s.

I will have a look at Southport Directories next week (Friday) and see how long it was in existence. It may have been a private venture.

My other suggestion would be to perhaps write to our local paper and ask for any memories of the school. Our local paper is the Southport Visiter (visiter is spelt like that in the name).

Gibel

[mabeljessie]

Hi Gibel,

Thank you for your reply and your offer of help is greatly appreciated.

From what we can piece together the family would probably have been living in Leicester. We are not sure what year  she was admitted however, I believe the earliest age that they could be admitted was 2 and I don't think they would  have accepted her with TB and her death cert said she had it for a year so I would estimate she was admitted between 1915 and 1921

She was not an orphan, her father was a soldier, she had a sibling 14 months older than her and her mother was also alive and well. However we do know she had a speech problem which could have been regarded as a mental deficiency. Her parents and surviving daughter later emigrated to Australia.

mabeljessie

[Barbara.H]

Don't know if this helps (with the date the original house owner died) but it might give you a smile:

From the Guardian Digital Archive

Manchester Guardian, dated Jan 26 1910
"Mr Richard Bentinck, of Cavendish House Ainsdale, Auctioneer, who died 24th July last, aged 83 years, left estate of the gross value of £26,040, of which the net personalty has been sworn at £19,447. He directed in his will that  2s 6d per week should be expended on the maintenance of his dog, Rover."

So the house may have become an institution some time after 1910.

  Barbara

[mabeljessie]

Hi Barbara,

Yes, I did have a good laugh and Rusty has asked me to make similar provisions in my will for him.

Interesting though I have since looked on ancestory for some clues - the census says he had a second wife half his age.

In 1901 Cavendish House was numbered 79 Liverpool Rd (a couple of subdivisions and re- numberings would bring up to 801 eventually).

I have found the 1911 Census summary books and it could be 177 or 179 Liverpool Rd uninhabited, the next property is Woodvale Station also uninhabited. From what we know( thanks to southportpast.com) the house use to stand near where the railway line crossed Liverpool Rd. There appear to be lots of houses on Liverpool Rd unoccupied on the night of the census in that section - between the railway line which I suspect is about Woodvale Rd and the next property listed which is Meadow Lane. (Please be understanding I am in " the land downunder" so all geography is from google maps and my own Sherlock skills, so not claiming anything like accuracy only guesstimate)

So maybe a little later than 1911 before it became an institution..... What would we do without the internet, especially when we are so remote.

mabeljessie

[Barbara.H]

That looks like a very good guesstimate  The street listing in the 1924-5 directory goes
797 Hargreaves, Miss H, sweets & conf'ry
[Meadow Lane]
Rimmer, John, farmer, Moss Cottage
Graham's Poultry Farm
799 Harrison, Miss Amelia
801 Cavendish House School etc
[Moss Lane]
[Southport Avenue, Formby]
[Dunlop Avenue]
Woodvale Railway Station
[Pinfold Lane]

As you have Ancestry, if your sub lets you see the 'UK City and Counties Directories' collection directories collection, that is where the 1924 for Southport is. But there should be other years in the local library so Gibel may be able to fill in some gaps. Hope so!

  Barbara