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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Aberdeenshire => Topic started by: anne50 on Saturday 28 November 09 14:47 GMT (UK)
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Hi Folks,
I was wondering if anyone knew of homes for unmarried mothers in Aberdeen around 1920.
Cheers
Anne
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Hi there was a home for unmarried mothers in Richmond Place off kings gate in aberdeen
do not no when it was build ANN
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Hi Ann,
Thanks for that info, it will give me something to go on.
Anne
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I think that may be richmondhill house which is next to richmondhill place off kings gate.
A house is present on early nineteenth century maps but I don't know if it's the same place.
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Checked the Aberdeen directories for every ten years from 1850-1950, no mention of a home for unmarried mothers.
There was a home for the children of widowers, a home for working lads, a home for working girls and a home for mothers and babies.
Richmondhill may be a red herring as I couldn't see any explicit mention of it as other than as a domestic residence.
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i found out there was a home for girls in seaton there was also a children home in union grove run by nuns . just an idea
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Thanks Ann and Still,
I think this will be my job this afternoon. Thanks for all the info
Anne
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can you tell me more about the home for children of widowers please and can anyone tell me why children were boarded out to families miles away from where they were born . my grandfather was b
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Dorn in larbert scotland his mother died and 3 yers later he was boarded to a family ln new aberdour
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Hi Ann,
I really don't know the answer. My dad was the same. His mother died when he was 2 and his gran died when he was 5. He was illigitimate, so there was no father to look after him. His grandfather was actually a step grandfather, so i presume he did'nt want the responsibility of looking after a 5 year old. He then was boarded out to a family in Alford, where he stayed until he left school at 14years old. This all happened in 1925.
I have just recently aquired the notes on him from the City Archives in Aberdeen, but it just states that he was a "boarded" out child. The family he stayed with, were paid 7shillings a week plus clothing.
Anne
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sadly the entire book isn't available in preview but it would appear that boarding out children was widespread where the children were orphans, deserted or from pauper families:
http://books.google.com/books?id=In_jK6YCJXoC&lpg=PA1&pg=PA122#v=onepage&q=&f=false
google books has several references to 'boarding children' and 'boarding-out children' in different texts, the one mentioned above is from 1876 but the practice was still being mentioned in 1953
As to why they would be boarded out miles from where they were born, without more detail I'd guess that the parents worked in agriculture and moved where there was work, when the mother died the child would be looked after by the relative who was able to and when they died the responsibility for the child then passed to the state.
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the family are a mystery his parents were married in london it says in his birth cert, cannot find record. his father was a iron work labourer they were married may 16 1877 my grandfather was born larbert stirling november 1777 and his mother died jan 1878 the death cert tells her mother and father name i cannot put this together next he is boarded to a family called wood new aberdour
ann
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hi still looking. just read the article on the boarded out children very interesting, thank you
Ann
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Ann
If you're looking for more detail on the circumstances surrounding your grandfather being boarded out you may want to check and see if either his mother or grandmother applied for poor relief in the areas in which they lived after his father had died.
Regarding his life with the family he was boarded out with have you located him in the 1881 and 1891 census?
still_looking
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Hi still looking
it was his mother who died first when my william duncan my grandfather was 2 months old his father george signed the death cert. I found him in the 1881 census in new aberdour what happened i just cannot find out been trying for a long time. would larbert have the poor relif?
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Hi, I do n't know about Larbert,but New Aberdour poor relief records are held in Aberdeen City Archives. Here's the link. The staff are very friendly & helpful.I think one of William's parents must've had a connection to New Aberdour before that parish was willing to look after William. What was your great grandmother's name? You said you got her parents names off the death certificate.Perhaps we can help you trace back further.I have a lot of ancestors from New Aberdour & am familiar with the place.
flst
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,769.0.html
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it says on the birth cert that her mother was ann sim and father james reid he worked as a carter i cannot get a marriage for them . my grandfather was boarded out to a family called wood
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I went on scotlandspeople & typed in the names & found a marriage for a James A.Reid & Ann Sim in 1858,in Old Machar Aberdeen. The next step would be to check out the information on the marriage certificate as this will give you their usual addresses & also their parents. Have you checked censuses pre 1881 to try & find William's parents prior to his birth?
flst
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i found that marriage i think it was 1855 william mother jessie was born iabout 1853 also i would not find jessie with them just 2 sons wonder if i am missing something
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hi still looking
i had that marriage on my file ann sim was 21 spinster. and james reid engineer.aged 25. have there parents name . it says jessie was 25 when she died in 1878 if that were the parents she would have been 2
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Jessie could have been born prior to her parents marriage. If she was n't with them in the 1861 census have you considered she may have been visiting (or living with) relatives? Who were James & Ann's parents? Did you find William's parents in the 1871 census? If you do manage to locate Jessie in the censuses at least you'll know her place of birth. Ages often differ on certificates & censuses! Did you manage to contact the Aberdeen City archives?
flst :)
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hi
tried to email the aberdeen city archves but could it did not let me send. will i need to go to family history shop to search census . have tried online but cannot find jessie in 1861 wonder if either george or jessie came from larbert
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Don't know what the problem could be regarding emailing the Aberdeen City Archives. The poor relief records are in Old Aberdeen House. You can make an appointment (it's free to search). Or you can phone them & ask for a lookup.Why do n't you call them? The telephone number is:01224 481775. They're really helpful.
flst
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i will call them now and see what they can do and let you no
thanks Ann
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hi
phoned to see if they had any records for william duncan . nothing between 1878 to 1900. they sugested to phone falkirk to ask about larbert parish records
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checked up on the home for children of widowers
It's listed in the Aberdeen Directory from 1908-1909 to 1982-1983. It was located at Primrosehill on Sunnybank Road. The address was previously occupied by a solicitor called William McQueen Smith.
There's also mention of it from 1906-1908 in the Aberdeen City Council minutes where funds are requested by the home and donated by the city.
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hi
thanks for info. I am looking for homes children in aberdeen and aberdeenshire from 1878 to 1801.
Ann
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Does anyone know of any homes for unwed mothers around 1896. Would Alexander's Building at Union Glen in Aberdeen have such a facility.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
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Have you read this ?
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=16350&sID=1632
plus some more info'
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Aberdeen/
Regards
Malky
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Thank you. I have read some of the records on poorhouses and they were quite general with no records. I have read none on unwed mothers and where they may have gone. I may be looking in the wrong places. Thank you for your suggestions. I will check them out right away.
Juddy
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I have a baby born to unmarried mother, at 28 Brighton Place, Aberdeen in 1926. Mother gives a different address as "usual residence". She was a domestic servant, so I imagine would not have been able to give birth at her place of residence/employment. Would there have been a home at Brighton Place?
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Hi nrfc
Welcome to RootsChat :)
You could check the Valuation Rolls online for either 1925 or 1930 (the last two years available at present) on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Searching with just the address of 28 Brighton Place brings up just one entry for 1925 and 1930.
The 1931-32 Post Office Directory shows a Simon Hutcheson at that address (that is who shows there on the 1930 valuation roll). www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Monica
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Misses Stephen at No.28 in 1926-27 https://archive.org/stream/postofficeab192627aber#page/n703/mode/2up
They also show there in 1925-26 https://archive.org/stream/postofficeab192526aber#page/678/mode/2up
Question for you is who were Misses Stephen and were they taking care of unmarried mothers at the property.
I am not getting Stephen as a surname when checking it on the 1925 valuation roll index on SP. If you, I would start by looking at the 1925 VR on SP to see what it says about the property.
Monica
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Think the Stephen sisters may have been there already from at least 1901. The census that year shows:
Margaret Stephen 58 Living On Own Means b. Tarves
Charles Stephen 46 brother Church Of Scotland Procationi (ordained) b. Tarves
Barbara Stephen 48 Living On Own Means b. Tarves
Address: 28 Brighton Place, Aberdeen Holburn
Monica
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Thanks, MonicaL for info on the Stephens family at 28 Brighton Place. Perhaps it was just a case of the sisters of a minister being charitable to my unmarried relative, rather than any formal "home".
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That is what I was thinking too. Hard to tell further really at this point isn't it.
Monica :)
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My mother was born in Aberdeen Mother and Baby Home, RichmondHill House, 22 Kings Gate, Aberdeen
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Charles Stephen 46 brother Church Of Scotland Procationi (ordained) b. Tarves
Is Procationi a mistranscription of Probationer, perhaps?