Orpington Orphanage St. Joseph and Anne records

[salclem]

Hello Sarah,
    Thank you very much for this information, it is an enormous help and I will contact the people you mentioned. Hopefully we can fill in some gaps about what happened to our family around that time. Do you know what your parents  thought of their time in the orphanage? Grandma never mentioned it, she felt embarrassed about her parents and her upbringing, so none of us really know much about it.
 We just assume that life in the orphanage would be better than life in the workhouse where her mother and baby brother remained.
   Many thanks again and best wishes,
       Sally

[Sarah68]

Hi Sally

My dad and uncles experiences of their time in the orphanage were quite different and they didn't go in until 1946, a long time after your grandmother.

My uncle was only coming up to 3-years old when he  went to St Anne's first which was for girls and infants.  He joined my dad at St Joseph's, which was for boys, when he was old enough.

(By the way, they had come from Southwark also).

My dad has bad memories of his time there but my uncle seems to think it was ok.  Saying that, my dad was that bit older and remembers being taken there in the first place and not understanding what was going on (their mum had died).

St Anne's was run by Nuns and St Josephs's by Brothers.  I don't know about the nuns but my dad says the Brothers were very strict and he was unhappy there but then again it must be an awful experience for any child placed in an orphanage / children's home.

It totally turned my dad against the roman catholic religion.

I don't know whether the workhouse would have been any better.

In their reply to my letter, The Catholic Children's Society said that they had photographs of the orphanage which may be of interest to you.

Sarah

[casalguidi]

Hi Sally

As this is such an old request you may well have some new information by now but, if not ...............

St Saviour Southwark Union RC schools register:

Rose McMAHON age 9 chargeable to "N" born 31 Jul 1890 admitted 21 Jul 1900 listed as "other" child ie. not illegitimate, orphan or deserted.  Discharged 15 Dec 1904 to mother.  Mother in St G whs (St George's workhouse would be my best guess without looking further).  There is an address added later of 30 Gay........ St.

Details for Emma the same except age 3 and date of birth 7 Apr 1897.

Same details for James age 7 born 28 Mar 1892
 
George (mother Elizabeth in St G whs) chargeable to SG age 5 born 24? Mar 1895 admitted 10 Oct 1900 discharged 14 Apr 1902 (from Chigwell?) to Chigwell.

George also admitted 28 Sep 1900 discharged 10 Oct 1900 (mother Elizabeth in St G whs) discharged to Eltham

George also admitted 14 Apr 1902 discharged 11 Oct 1906 to father

Casalguidi

[nenepops]

Hi there,

I am also researching about St Ann’s and St Joseph’s Orphanage as I think my grandmother was sent there when her mother died in 1932.

I think she had 9 maybe siblings??

Ethel Wise
B1921 D2002 Sidcup, Kent.

Her mother’s name was Lilian Ellen Overy b1890 d1932

[Jo Beebee]

Incase someone else comes looking for information on this subject. When the Orphanages were demolished to make way for the housing development the Orphanage cemetery had its burials relocated and they were placed in a memorial garden at the Holy Innocents Church, Strickland way, Orpington. 

Bromley Central Library has a print out of the names and some dates of the original burials. This information used to be online but the website has now gone.

I am close to the Library and can look any names up if needed or the Bromley Historic Collection staff can be contacted at the Library. 

I have added the memorial to Billiongraves.com with photos but was not allowed to add the names from the Library for copyright reasons. I have contacted the Church to see if they had a record but no answer yet.

[nenepops]

So do you think I should contact Bromley Library regarding my grandmother at the Orphanage?

[Molloy123]

Hi everyone hoping someone can help me.

My mother has recently just found out she had a brother she never knew of . Sadly this only came to light after he had passed away in January 2022🥲. He was born on the 16th July 1944 in Kilburn. His name was William John Molloy. His mothers name was Margaret Crotty and fathers name was John Molloy. We are trying to find out as much as we can for our mum. Unfortunately he was divorced and had no children so searching social media sites won’t help us. He was placed into a catholic orphanage but we don’t know at what age? He was never adopted so again we don’t know what age he left. A name the same as his came up on a census for Sevenoaks so we are thinking maybe he was placed at St. Joseph’s Orphanage Orpington . Any information or help would be gratefully appreciated. Trying to help our mum who is so sad that he was put into care and she was kept 🥲. Many thanks