St. Joseph's School for Girls (orphanage)

[njlois]

Can anyone help me with this? My mom and her sister were placed in this school around 1930 or so. Apparently their Mom died and their father put them there where they were raised (happily I must say) by nun.  Initially my aunt being just a toddler was in a different location.  She didn't even remember having a sister, but my Mom insisted that they be reunited. I would love any information about the "school".   Thank you.   They both say they were from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  I don't know if that's near where the school was, not. Eventually my Mom joined the Land Army during WWII and my aunt the women's RAF.  My mom met my Dad, a US army/aircorps man and she came to the US in 1946.

Thanks again!

[Michael Dixon]

njlois,

 Not much info to go on !

 Do you have the names of your mother's parents, with some idea of dates.

 1911 is the latest census we have available to us, but other sources eg Trade Directories might help.

Michael
Newcastle

[njlois]

Hi Michael,

My mom and aunt were Agnes and Elenor  (born 1927).
I believe their mother's name was Agnes .

There must've been some sort of traumatic event because my mother would never, ever speak of her early years so unfortunately we grew up knowing absolutely nothing. The little information we were given was from our aunt, who at the time was just a toddler so her actual memory of events was sparse.

I have a copy of my Mom's information sheet from Pan Am airlines from when she came to the States. She gave the following information:

Place of birth: Newcastle
 England Heathfield Broadoak Satin Storm Cottage  (However, I do not believe her mother was alive, the rest of the information may have been accurate)
She was a Land Army Worker
Thanks so much.

[Michael Dixon]

 On a Births/Marriages?deaths website I can see the birth registration in the September Quarter of 1924 within the Registration District of Tynemouth of an Agnes Fennelly.

Her birth was registered sometime from 1st July to30 Sept 1924. Parents were allowed 42 days grace in which to register the child. ( Agnes could have born as early as end of May)

The website only shows us the bare bones of info... including a column for maiden name of child's mother. This was also Fennelly.

So a woman born a Fennelly could have married a man also called Fennelly, or the child could have been born to a single lady called Fennelly.

In the December Qtr of 1927 an unnamed female child was registered with Castle Ward Registration District. Similarly this child's mother maiden name was Fennelly. She was probably registered before she was baptised.

Tynemouth Reg Dist. lay to the east of Newcastle Reg District. Castle Ward lay to the north and west of Newcastle.

 Perhaps more later,
Michael

[njlois]

This would make sense.   Perhaps the source of my Mom's hesitance to give us family info was due to the fact that her parents weren't married.  My Mom Agnes's birthday is July 27, 1924, My aunt Eleanor's was December 2, 1927.   

This is the most information I've ever received regarding my mother's ancestry! (as bare bones as it is!)


Thank you so much Michael!

[Michael Dixon]

 In the December Qtr of 1948 the death of a 41 yr ol Agnes Fennelly was registered with Northumberland South Reg District ( this was a later name for what had been called Tynemouth Reg Dist.)

From the site I am unable to see whether this Agnes was a married or single woman ?

 I am unfamiliar with a place called Heathfield, but there is one in the county od East Sussex, near the south coast.

Michael

[Michael Dixon]

 We are lucky to have a "free" website to see " the bare bones" of registrations.

 We can get extra info ( ie. specific dates of events, address of births etc, father of child's name and occupation, mother's surname and maiden name, who registered the child and their address) but fees are charged for certified copies of the complete entry from the original register

Michael.

[njlois]

that would be sad indeed, I was born in September 1948.
I also have to pay for info here. I joined Ancestry.com, it gives me access for certain records (census, etc.), but if I want a copy of a birth certificate or a death certificate, I have to send money to the State in which the birth/death occurred to get the information.
I certainly appreciate your help!

[Michael Dixon]

 I am not familiar with the St  Joseph's School for Girls/orphanage. But I regularly visit Newcastle City Central Library. There I can browse records to see if I can find anything on the establishment.
Watch this space !

Michael