St Teresa 97 Belmont hill Lewisham 1930-1936 any info please?

[jacky_d]

Hi my great Aunt was placed here about pre 1929 from  she was born in 1913  and was from the Cheshire area. Back then she was claimed as being "Feeble minded" I have done some research but the building does not appear to be there now. Im wondering if any one knows what kind of  place this was I know its Roman Catholic but im not sure why she would have been sent from cheshire to London as she would have had no family up that way. Just a little confused, any info of the back ground would be appreciated thank you.

 I do know she was sent back to the cheshire area from 1930 and spend the rest of her life in mental hospitals across cheshire wast until she died in 1978.

[groom]

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1262073

Looks as if it was a Convent.

Is this it? https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101262073-the-sacred-heart-convent-blackheath-ward#.Wuw2C9MvwnV     Click on photos.

[jacky_d]

thank you for the info ill take a look now

[familydar]

Just picked up on this thread, possibly a little late.

"Feeble minded" - 16 year old girl - she wasn't by any chance expecting a child was she and spirited away to somewhere that nobody would have known her?  If so and the child was born alive it was probably adopted and that and post-natal depression could well have tipped the poor girl over the edge.

Lots of descendants of adopted people take DNA tests these days in an effort to find out more about their birth parent(s).  Some of your DNA matches could be related to your great Aunt.

Jane :-)

[jacky_d]

Hi Jane, thank you so much for your reply and no i dont think its ever to late to respond i will however give  you an update as i now realise that Down syndrome actually runs right through the family I think when i first found her it was that kind of labeling that upset me so much and given I have been a mental health counsellor for over 15 year in all honesty it knocked me for six. And given things like this did actually happen in some homes I think your theory could possibly be correct and thank you so much for your input as I never really thought of that scenario.

Jacky 

[PaulineJ]

I think its the same address that St theresa's school was at.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/yoursay/readersnews/9007487.display/

[jacky_d]

Thank you Pauline i did manage to get a photo of the building pretty impressive they have had it all renovated now and it is a stunning building.

[Olive Oyl]

There was definitely the convent there. I went to the school from 1968. It was the school which was called St.Theresa's

[ShaunJ]

This is from "Mental Welfare" Volume 7 (1926):

https://tinyurl.com/yyk33z9j