Author Topic: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies  (Read 43139 times)

Offline hardrada

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #36 on: Tuesday 21 July 15 23:02 BST (UK) »
Dear Colette,

No problem at all.  If you would rather communicate privately then perhaps we could use the Personal Messages on the Forum? 

The court would be unlikely, on the basis of a phone call, to send you the full original paperwork.  In fact they may not hold it.  The website adoptionsearchreunion has information on where the records might be (everything depends upon how your mother was adopted, through what agency if any and so on) and also how you, as the child of an adopted child, might go about obtaining access to these records (especially the original full birth certificate, which will have your grandmother's name on it).

For instance, if she was adopted through the National Adoption Society, then you would have to contact Brent Council, (the person to contact and her email are on the adoptionsearchreunion website) because the NAS no longer exists and all of their records are held at Brent.  (This I know because my son was adopted through this agency.)

Very possibly your grandmother had little or no choice about giving up her daughter for adoption.  There was little or no state support for unmarried mothers and many parents wanted (as in my case) nothing to do with their grandson.  His existence equalled shame, shame that I had brought on them.

The age of the mothers usually ranged from mid-teens (15-16) to mid-twenties.  There would occasionally have been younger girls, of course, and so too women in their later twenties, perhaps even early thirties.  But the majority of unmarried mothers-to-be were between 17-23, I would guess, by the 1960s at any rate.

Best regards,

Anne


Offline Colettebeanz

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #37 on: Wednesday 22 July 15 08:24 BST (UK) »
Hi Anne.
I've pm'd you
Thanks

Offline backnbarry

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #38 on: Wednesday 27 July 16 06:53 BST (UK) »
I was at Elmleigh Mother and Baby Home in November/December 1967.   I responded to an article in Womens' Own magazine where they mentioned Lady Glover and how to contact her.  Before I went into the home, I stayed with her daughter, Mrs. Spooner, at Hyde Park Gardens, and relieved for the cook (a disaster!) or nanny (3 children whose names I still remember)  on their days off.  They even took me into 'the country' (their place in Kettering) with them where I had to prepare a huge Sunday roast for as many people who might attend dinner.  There were several pregnant girls working for the Spooners. 

I found the home to be just what I needed at that time since I had decided not to keep my child.  I was well treated, well fed and didn't have to pay anything unless I couldn't work (ie help cook & clean).  I ended up on bedrest due to swollen feet & legs and did pay toward my keep.  I felt my child went to a very good home although I've never had proof.  I'd like to know about him but have not tried to trace him.

I feel Elmleigh saved me but it's still my secret.  I am from America and have never told anyone.

Offline Lesley Halliday

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #39 on: Friday 23 September 16 01:26 BST (UK) »
Elmleigh , ( 114 Harlestone Road , Northampton ) was my first home .. I was born in 1968 . It was my first home with my birth mother , who i believe was 26 years old at the time of my birth - I can understand a 26 year old still relinquishing in that era and i was amixed race baby , ( My birth Mother English and my birth father Indian )
I have a copy of a feeding schedule letter from Elmleigh , ( Can`t believe they had me on strsined dinners and cereal at 3 months old ! ) This letter marks my age at the time as 2 and a half months old - I`ce read it was harder to find homes for mixed race babies . There`s evidence my mother changed her mind about relinquishing me , it maybe another reason i was still at Elmleigh as most babies were off by 6 weeks of age .
Sre there any adoptees her who were also at Elmleigh in 1968 ? I was born in August so imagine my mother settled there sometime earlier during her pregnancy , We were there at least until the end of November .
My mother is dead but her name was Wendy Halliday if anyone knew her ...



Offline Lesley Halliday

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #40 on: Friday 23 September 16 01:42 BST (UK) »
I forgot to add something about lady Susan Glover , who ran Elmleigh and who was chairperson of The National Adoption Society at the time . I kept all letters from NAS and clung to information in the letters as part of my identity and family history . the information was special to me as mhy only link to my birth mother , who i never met .
I live in Australia thouogh i was born & raised in the U.K . A British researcher found my mtjer and birth family who didn`t really want to know me but they told me tit bits of information abut my mother and i discovered the NAS letters told one lie after another about my mothers occupation and of her immediate family .
The researcher told me letters often embellished a babys history to make them look like they were from `good stock` . As a mixed race baby it was harder to  place me but either way .. the NAS told my adoptive parents that my mother was a student nrse . she wasn`t . They said her brother was a graphic artist . He was a policeman . They wrote that my grandfather was an art teacher but he was a coal miner and so on . Apparently my Indian father was a doctor his family were described as professionals .. It really shows the level of cultural shame surrounding mothers and babies of the era , its amazing .
another member wrote here about her time as an employee at Elmleigh  thank you so much for writing about your experience ! It gave me insight into the era and was really incredible to read x

Offline pamdorrington

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #41 on: Monday 10 October 16 18:53 BST (UK) »
I was at 103 harleston rd in the early 70s. I t wasnt a mother and baby home at that time, it was a girls children home, I think it was called hollyrood house at that time. I would love to have contact with girls who was there when i was.

Offline [Ray]

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #42 on: Monday 10 October 16 20:15 BST (UK) »
Hi all ( + WELCOME TO ROOTSCHAT => PamD )

May I give you an update on something that has been worked upon for a very long time, (15+ years)? AND got a MAJOR STEP forward today>
 
One of my closest friends ( "CF") has been looking for his birth mother/family.
CF was born in  the "Mother and Baby Home" [ Harlestone Road, Northampton ] in late 1964.
CF was adopted by a lovely couple who have treated him royally [ and may I say ] lots of love.
However, his real/original BirthReg name was not open to him until "recently".
His adoptive mother (Mum) died a little time ago, (Dad) is ill with Vascular Dementia.
 

With quite a bit of patience and a number of ( quite a few! ) false/incorrect leads, etc., etc.,
we ( another pal of his and I ) have completed the jigsaw.
The current address, and telephone number, of his birth mother is now known . . . . . final steps being discussed.


History = VERY YOUNG mother,  YOUNG father.
CF put out for adoption.
 
The YOUNG couple eventually marrying a "small number of years" later, and more children

( couple, however, apparently not currently together )
 
CF now has W + 4xK + 3xGK [ ALL very lovely!!!!! ]
 
Let us hope that it is a positive outcome . . . . . it is a wonderful family to inherit. :-)
 




Even after all this, it is not always a positive reaction/result, as another recent previous situation proved. :-(
 
 Mother traced/deceased. Grandmother "traced", "connected", "not interested" !
 

 
I would always say " Search, Find, Connect ", [ prepared to discuss positives/negatives ] (  soapbox now away )



Ray
 
"The wise man knows how little he knows, the foolish man does not". My Grandfather & Father.

"You can’t give kindness away.  It keeps coming back". Mark Twain (?).

Offline McSludge

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - Home for illegitimate babies
« Reply #43 on: Tuesday 07 March 17 10:59 GMT (UK) »
I was 17 years old when I was sent away to Northampton at 5 months pregnant, by my parents who were living in RAF quarters in North London. I stayed at Elmleigh for the duration of the pregnancy until my son was born in Northampton General Hospital in 1980.  I was unable to go through with the adoption so kept my son.  I remember Lady Glover turning up possibly once a week - I always remember her number plate GLO 1 and thought how posh she must be.  I have no recollection of having to work during my stay other than possibly assist with meals and laying tables.  I have no idea whether my parents had to pay for my stay - they were not particularly well off and I had always assumed it had been arranged via social services?  I am now 54 years old.

Offline Dadofluke

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Re: N0RTHAMPTON - HOME FOR ILLEGITIMATE BABIES
« Reply #44 on: Friday 28 July 17 00:26 BST (UK) »
my son was collected from ELMLEIGH in October 1979 after a phone call from Lady Glover. We had already made an application to NAS, having already adopted a boy through them in 1975.
Everything was above board and this gift of a new son was a massive blessing to us all as a family. There was no pressure to donate or any other kind of financial incentive.
We all have known very little about my sons birth mother or his birth father or the family background and my son has had no response to his attempts to trace his birth mother at all.
It seems wrong that any person should not have the full details of his/her family background. After all, medical history should be the adopted persons right.