Quarry maternity home,

[jo1964]

I was in The Quarry in 1964 and had my son just before Xmas that year.  My memories are happy ones. My recollection is that there were approximately 20 unmarried girls there and mostly we got on very well together. I worked in the laundry and the lady who ran the laundry used to invite me to tea at her house on Sundays. The chap who used to come and play the guitar and sing to us was a canon from Lincoln Cathedral.
The member of staff I remember most clearly was Sister Downing (or Downey??) who was very kind to us all but would stand no nonsense!!

When my son went for adoption I insisted on seeing and talking to the couple and was happy that they were kind, decent people even though, to me at 16 years old, they looked a 100 years old!!

1 month ago I had a phonecall from my now 46 year old son and we have established what I hope will be a lasting bond. He has had a very happy and fulfilled life and was the first of 3 children his parents adopted. I did not expect to feel the way I do about him and still cannot believe what has happened.

[JLW84]

Could anyone help me, i am trying to find my uncle who was born at this maternity home in 1953 as i am his niece it doesn't seem i can find out where he is. his mums name was Jean E Sansam. thankyou  xxx

[mad-dog-lady]

I was born at the Quarry in October 1964? Anyone there at that time could give me information on what it was l like then. I have so many questions.

Was it married & unmarried mothers?
What was it like to be there?
How long did mothers stay there before and after the birth?
Were the babies for adoption removed immediately or at some later point?
How long after 1964 did it stay open?
Why did it close?
Is it still there?
Where did the files from the Quarry go to when it closed?

I'm sorry to asking so much but there s a big hole in my knowledge that needs filling. Any help would really be gratefully appreciated. Many thanks.

[jo1964]

I arrived at the Quarry in October 1964 and my baby was born on December 13th. It was usual to go into the Quarry 8 weeks before your baby was due and you stayed for 6 weeks after your baby was born. All the girls (around 20 of us)were unmarried and ranged from 14 to around 25 years old.

On arrival at the Quarry you were allotted a job and my job was to work in the laundry with a lovely lady whose name I can no longer remember. All the work was done in the mornings and your afternoons were free to do as you pleased. I was perfectly happy there.

On the day your baby was adopted you could at last go home to your family and, as I was only 16, I was dying to get home with all my sisters and back to normal.

On May 23rd this year my son contacted me (now aged 46!) and we are seeing each other and meeting each other's families on a regular basis. I was unprepared for the love I would feel for him and my new found grandchildren. I hope this has answered some of the things you wanted to know and I will answer any other questions you can think of. Good luck

[mad-dog-lady]

Thank you for your really prompt reply. The information provided was very useful.

I do have more questions if you have the patience to help me. What was the normal process for adoption? What was the normal period between the birth and the baby being adopted? My adoption order was made the following April when I was 6 months old. Does this mean that my birth mother, ^(*) would have stayed with me until then? My birth name was ^(*) and my birth was registered ^(*) 1964.

What kind of information was gathered from the mother for the adoption file? I am trying to get my adoption file opened. I have made contact with my birth family. My mother doesnt seem to want direct contact but my younger half sister and I are in weekly contact and have a good relationship.

I understand things were very different then and have no real animousity. I just need to get the 'gaps' in my background filled as much as I can.

Once again, thanks for your valauble help in my quest to understand more.  Warm regards.



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[jo1964]

Hi again. I'll try and answer your questions.
As far as I can remember, when I first got pregnant my mum and I were allotted a social worker and she arranged for me to go into the Quarry. I think the idea of a mother and baby home was to make a smooth journey for both mother and baby. You actually had your baby in the labour room at the Quarry as the staff were nurses and in those days you would then stay on the ward for 7 days before returning to work and looking after your baby in the nursery.

The normal period between having the baby and the baby being sent for adoption was 6 weeks. The baby would go to the prospective adopters and would live with them for a while before going through the legal adoption process. My baby was born in December and was adopted in April, the same month as you were adopted.

The process of deciding what kind of people would adopt your baby was decided on your (and the father's ) background, physical appearance(ie height, colour of hair etc) and I remember a lot of questions regarding my education. When my son found me he had a copy of the adoption papers naming me and his father and, bizarrely, a letter written by me stating the reasons for having him adopted.

When my son and I met for the first time in June, I took him to the Quarry. Although he had always known he was adopted, he had no idea where he was born. When we arrived at the house a lady came out to us and I told her why we were there. The house is now a boarding house for boys aged between 8 and 14 who study at Lincoln Cathedral School. The lady very kindly let us go into the house and look round. What a strange experience!!

I hope this will help to clarify things for you. If there is anything else you want to know just ask. It's great you are in touch with your half sister. I had 2 sons after Geoff went for adoption and they are all yet to meet one another. I hope we will all get together at Xmas.

Regards Jo

[mel b]

Here a few pictures I have of the Quarry, hope you like them

[mel b]

a few more attachments, these are scans of a newsletter I saved from the Quarry

[mad-dog-lady]

Thanks to Mel B for the two newsletters she posted. They make very interesting reading. Most of the posts on these threads say the place was a relatively happy place, in spite of the odd coackroach 

I would love to see any other background information that may be around on The Quarry, particularly anything around 1964/65.

Once again, thanks to Mel B.