Advice sought on Muller orphanages

[Lookin2]

GMCT_archivist

I have been searching for my mother's whereabouts 1903-1919.  My mother Ellen Matilda Howlett lost her mother to consumption in 1903, aged 36, and her father died aged 48 in 1913.  I have been looking to find where my mother Ellen Matilda Howlett and her sister Lilly Elizabeth Howlett went to live.  (I found Frederick Howlett living with his two sons) I was receiving help from Ladyhawk and she found a Lily Howless age in 1911 13 estimated birth year 1898 as being an inmate New Orphan House, Muller's Orphanage , Ashley Down, Bristol and I am hoping you may be able to check if this is our Lilly Howlett with her sister Ellen Matilda Howlett.

Most grateful for any assist in this quest.  Lookin2

[GMCT_archivist]

GMCT_archivist

I have been searching for my mother's whereabouts 1903-1919.  My mother Ellen Matilda Howlett lost her mother to consumption in 1903, aged 36, and her father died aged 48 in 1913.  I have been looking to find where my mother Ellen Matilda Howlett and her sister Lilly Elizabeth Howlett went to live.  (I found Frederick Howlett living with his two sons) I was receiving help from Ladyhawk and she found a Lily Howless age in 1911 13 estimated birth year 1898 as being an inmate New Orphan House, Muller's Orphanage , Ashley Down, Bristol and I am hoping you may be able to check if this is our Lilly Howlett with her sister Ellen Matilda Howlett.

Most grateful for any assist in this quest.  Lookin2

Dear Lookin2

Ellen and Lily were admitted to the homes on 27 May 1903.  Please email me at ski (at) mullers.org.

Kind regards

[GMCT_archivist]

I have just received a spam from adela @ superserp.com, asking if I accept sponsorship on "my" rootschat.com website.

Could I just point out that the address I gave above is ONLY for enquiries about orphans who may have been cared for by Mullers?

Thank you for respecting this.

[Lookin2]

GMCT_archivist

I am not sure if I need to do something re spam.   I am sure Roots Chat will be on it.  I am following instructions given on your Oct. 8 E.mail so you should be hearing from me in the not to distant future and thank you once again for the great help you have give  me.  Regards, Lookin2

[GMCT_archivist]

GMCT_archivist

I am not sure if I need to do something re spam.   I am sure Roots Chat will be on it.  I am following instructions given on your Oct. 8 E.mail so you should be hearing from me in the not to distant future and thank you once again for the great help you have give  me.  Regards, Lookin2

That was not addressed to you, but meant as a warning to other spammers!  Genuine enquiries and correspondence about "our" orphans is always welcome, but spam will not be tolerated, and I operate a "name and shame" policy.

[GMCT_archivist]

I spent a considerable amount of time tracking down my great grandmother on the 1861 census (at which point she had lost both parents), and eventually came up with "M S F, age 9, born abt 1852, in Paignton Devon, residing in the New Orphan House Number 2 in Clifton, Bristol St James and St Paul, Gloucestershire. Her name was Martha Susanna Froude born 4/2/1852 from this area of Devon and it seems that the orphans are all listed under their initials.

I thought this was a fairly reasonable identification, especially given some additional indications such as the fact that her place of birth on the 1871 census is given as Bristol, an anomaly which would be explained by her being in the orphanage in Bristol from the age of 9 or earlier. However when I contacted the George Muller foundation which ran these orphanages, they told me that she definitely was not there as she was not in their records.   

Obviously, this is disappointing and, while I do not doubt their good faith and am grateful for their looking this up, I do not see how they could be so certain. I wonder if she might have been there and her name wrongly transcribed in their records.  I'm just wondering if anyone has any previous experience checking records with the Muller foundation, an opinion on this matter, or any suggestions as to how to confirm this information in another way.

From what I have read of these orphanages, the girls were always kept there until they were seventeen years old, at which point they were found some form of employment, often going into service (unless they were expelled previously for some reason). Would there be some way of tracing her when she came out of the institution (normally this would have been in 1869 in her case).

I am very sorry that my predecessor gave you this information, as Martha Susannah Frude was definitely one of the girls cared for at Ashley Down, admitted 31 December 1857, and leaving 7 June 1864.  Please get in touch (ski at mullers.org) - under the circumstances, I will waive the charges we make for copies of the file.

[Heb66]

Hi.....I have visited their offices and museum have paid for a couple of case files they had on two of my ancestors. Extremely full of information . Well worth the money !!

[StintonLomas]

Hi

I have just received a spam from adela   @   superserp.com, asking if I accept sponsorship on "my" rootschat.com website.

Could I just point out that the address I gave above is ONLY for enquiries about orphans who may have been cared for by Mullers?

Thank you for respecting this.

A tip I have followed and always suggest to others is that if you need to post an email address on an open forum then use a format which can be easily understood by readers but not by web-bots.

for instance yours would be "ski at mullers dot org"  anybody who wants to contact you genuinely would know to ignore the "s and the spaces and also replace dot with .       

Just realised you have done something similar since the offending email was received, but it is still good advice for others to see.

[Swizzle1982]

I wonder if GMCT_archivist could help in my query. It is not related to children, but staff members.

My great uncle Walter Wood was I believe employed at Ashley Down for some years. Not sure in what capacity or for how long. It was probably late 1930s onward. His wife was Eva(ngeline). They had a son Ralph, a musician in the Marines who was killed in action in 1942 in HMS Arethusa.  His mother could never accept the fact and spent the remainder of her life looking for information about him.

Any info appreciated.

Thanks

radstockjeff

I’m guessing you’ve checked the email 1939 register where Walter is living in No3 as a House Porter with his wife
?