Dorset Home Industrial School

[Zebediah]

Hi goolerose - my grandmother was also in the Dorset Home Industrial School for girls in Poole and I'm keen to find out why she was sent there.  When you mention the London Borough Archives in your post, do you mean the London Metropolitan Archives?  And could you point me to the organisation in Andover you mention that keeps the discharge papers please?   Many thanks for your help.

[goolerose]

HELLO ZEBADIAH,

YES, I DID MEAN THE LONDON METROPOLITAN ARCHIVES.   FIRST OF ALL, I AM NOT SURE WHETHER ALL THE CHILDREN CAME FROM LONDON.   THE LOCAL PEOPLE CALLED IT THE ORPHANAGE!  SO PERHAPS THEY WERE ALL ORPHANS.   A PHONE CALL TO THE LONDON METROPOLITAN ARCHIVES COULD TELL YOU THIS,  OR PERHAPS YOUR COUNTY ARCHIVIST COULD HELP.   THE DORSET COUNTY ARCHIVIST, HAVING NO INFORMATION WHAT-SO-EVER WAS THE PERSON WHO ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THE L.M.A. THE SEARCH, IF YOU DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF WILL COST ABOUT £40 PER HOUR, WHICH WAS REALLY WORTH IT.   WE FOUND MY GRANDMOTHER HAD THREE CHRISTIAN NAMES INSTEAD OF ONE AND THAT HER SURNAME WAS SPELT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.   THIS ENABLED US TO BUY A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, AND AFTER AN EXCITING 2/3 WEEKS DISCOVERED THAT MY MOTHER HAD SIX SIBLINGS, TWO OF WHICH WERE STILL ALIVE.   SADLY, ONE OF THEM WAS VERY ILL AND DIED A FEW WEEKS LATER BUT A BROTHER [A LATE BABY] WAS ALIVE.  HE AND HIS SISTER HAD NO IDEA THAT THEIR MOTHER GREW UP IN AN ORPHANAGE OR THAT SHE HAD A BABY AT THE VERY TENDER AGE OF 15!   WHAT A HULLABALOO THAT MUST HAVER CAUSED!    AS FAR AS I KNOW I UNDERSTAND SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN LET OUT ON LICENCE AS A HOUSEMAID AT THE AGE OF 14, LEAVING AT 16.   WHERE SHE WENT BACK TO LONDON TO BE WITH HER ELDER BROTHER.
WE HAVE MET MY UNCLE AND HIS WIFE A COUPLE OF TIMES AND KEEP IN TOUCH BY E-MAIL.

THERE IS A REGISTER OF GIRLS IN SERVICE 1885/1920 X111/083 IN THE ANDOVER CHILDRENS HOME FILES AND VISITS TO SERVANTS X111/082.   THE DISCHARGE REGISTARS ARE REF: X111/078 1913- 1916.   ANDOVER REGISTERS 1879-1933 IS AT THE N..R.A. REF:  NRA13329 ISLINGTON.   UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE AN ADRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHICH IS PROBABLY BURIED SOMEWHERE IN ALL MY RESEARCH NOTES BUT WHEN I AM READY, I WILL PHONE THE L.M.A. TO TRACK THEM DOWN.

I HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE OF GREAT HELP TO YOU.   

GOOLEROSE   

P.S.  FOR A SMALL SUM, ABOUT 20p + POSTAGE, I AM SURE THE ARCHIVIST AT THE POOLE ARCHIVES WILL SEND YOU A PHOTO-COPY OF THE CHILDRENS OUTING THAT THEY HAVE - TAKEN circa 1916 AFTER MY GRANDMOTHER LEFT.

[Zebediah]

Hi Goolerose

Thanks so much for your response.  I have already been in touch with the London Metropolitan Archives who were very helpful, and did find some very brief records relating to my grandmother (who did come from London) but unfortunately, the records of the juvenile court which dealt with her case, and would have given me the info I was really after (i.e. the situation she was in and why she was sent to the home, and perhaps parents' names) no longer survive. 

I have also been in touch with the Poole archives and they have very kindly sent me the photograph of the outing of 1916 - my grandmother was still there at that time but we haven't been able to pick her out with any certainty.

I've contacted the Hampshire archives re the discharge papers, and they were confused that records of a home in Dorset would be held in Hampshire and didn't come back with anything, but perhaps your grandmother was let out on licence to service in Hampshire, and that's why?  (I think my grandmother went out to service in Dorset).  In any case, thanks very much for the references you've supplied - I've contacted Hampshire again just in case they have anything.  I've also sent the references to the London Metropolitan Archives to see if they come up with anything.

Whilst I haven't found what I really want to know yet, I wouldn't have got as far as I have without seeing your post, so many thanks for that, and for taking the time to respond. 


Zebediah

[goolerose]

HI ZEBADIAH,   GLAD THAT MY INFORMATION IS A HELP.   PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU PROGRESS.  GOOLEROSE