Milden Cottage, Vale Road Upper Parkstone

[HeatherLynne]

I wonder if anyone with some local knowledge could help me with a bit of a puzzle? 

In the 1911 census my grandmother was in Islington, London, with her parents and siblings - all except her 7 year old brother.  Until today I'd not been able to find Frederick Edden on the 1911 and wondered where he was and why not at home with the family.  I thought perhaps he could have been in hospital or something similar.  By looking at the 1911 census on Genes Reunited today I found him in Parkstone Dorset at the above address. 

Head of the household was Mary Ann Cowell, a widow of 57, a lettings agent and her daughter Lily aged 16.  They shared their cottage with 6 Visitors who all came from Islington.  There was a mother and daughter Annie and Doris Warren aged 36 and 10 years respectively and also 4 unrelated children of 8,7 6 and 5 years. 

Do you think they were there to convalesce, perhaps sent to enjoy the sea air?  I understand Frederick's sister (my grandmother) was sent away somewhere to convalesce at some time during her childhood so it seems a possibility.  I've looked at Vale Road on Google streetview and can't see anything that looks like a cottage - they're all reasonably sized detached houses nowadays although there are some new buildings that wouldn't have been there in 1911.

I've tried Historical Directories to see if I can find Mrs Cowell or any record of Milden Cottage without success.  Can you suggest where I might look next to try and prove the convalescent home idea or perhaps suggest why else such a mixture of young children all from Islington would be living in Poole?

Thanks for reading and for any help you're able to give.
Heather

[Richard Knott]

I don't think there is any connection with Mrs Cowell. She, single, looked after her father in Suffolk until 1893 when she married a widowed wheelwright (Josiah Cowell) with whom she was living in 1901. When he died in 1904, she moved to Parkstone.

Bournemouth/Poole have, until the coming of the university, been seen as somewhere where people go to die/recover, so presumably she thought it was a good place to set up shop. In 1901 there are about twenty people from Islington living in Parkstone, which seems high, but most of them are there with their families. One of the homes includes someone from Islington. There is a range of other patients in that home both in age (the youngest is a 4 year-old from Paddington) and illness (some are classified as incurable).

Annie Warren and a 6 month old Dorothy are with their husband/father in London in 1901.

I think your hunch is correct: it was a private convalescent home. A lot of the houses in that area were built around 1900, and many are big enough to have boarders, but I have no idea whether what was Milden Cottage is still standing. She would have called it after her birthplace (Mildenhall in Suffolk) so it would be under a different name before she arrived some time after 1904. If you can get some of the names of neighbouring houses from the 1911 census, it may be possible to pin it down.

Richard

[HeatherLynne]

Many thanks for the reply Richard, some really interesting points there. 

Where have you been able to see the types of illness of the children in the house?  I did think I should see if I could find deaths for any of them but haven't got round to that yet.  I know Frederick survived into adulthood and had children of his own so obviously the Poole air did him some good!  On the 1911 the youngest child there is aged 5 and from Islington, where did you find the 4 year old from Paddington please?

It hadn't occurred to me that Milden Cottage was named after Mildenhall - I was a bit slow on the uptake there!   

Coincidentally my married surname is Knott, my husband's family came from Reading, Berkshire.  I know Knott isn't an unusual name but I was surprised to see it - where do your branch originate from?

Thanks again, Heather

[Richard Knott]

Louise Milne, age 4, b Paddington is staying in St Mary's Home (RG13/1981) with about 15-20 other patients. A few of them have 'incurable' or 'chronic invalid' next to their name, but most have nothing. I think the house is in Sandringham Road, but I'm not sure.

My Knotts came from Essex originally; I don't know of any branches in Berkshire.

Richard

[HeatherLynne]

Oh I see, I understand now about Louise Milne being in a different home - in my excitement I didn't read properly    Thanks! 

Thanks for your help and good luck with the Knott research.

Heather

[RRYFS]

I have leafletted Vale Road in the past and have a vague recollection that some of the houses have names/dates on the front, something that is quite common in Poole. I don't do the 1911 census due to inherent meanness - I'm anticipating the price coming down next year - but if there is a street search facility like the other FindMyPast censuses, and you can tie Milden Cottage in with other addresses in the road, I'm happy to go and have a look for you. Failing that, the Poole History Centre has a range of directories of different dates which could be consulted.

[HeatherLynne]

That's very kind of you RRYFS, I don't have access to the 1911 myself at home for the same reason but will look next time I'm in Kew, whenever that may be.  I'll let you know if/when I find out any more.

Thanks very much, Heather

[MortenofPoole]

Hello Heather. According to Kelly's 1911 Directory - Milden Cottage (Mrs M Read) was situated on the NE side of Vale Road. Looking through later directories and trying to match the houses on each side, to find out the number, it appears that the "cottage" or villa became No 42, known as 'Sidmount' by, at the latest, 1921.
Have a look using Google Maps and you can see that it is a large detached white house. The area was developed in the early 1900's and the house is contemporary but, I suppose that there's always the possibility that the cottage was knocked down and replaced by a later building.
Constitution Hill, a mile to the west, was known as having the healthiest climate in the area but Vale Road was situated just as near to the Pottery works. Also, the Gas works, at Bourne Valley was quite close by so I'm not so sure that they moved there for health reasons.
By the way, Kelly's 1911 doesn't list any convalescent homes. There was a children's home at St. Faith's, Mount Road, Poole and a Dorset Children's Home (girls) at 32, West Steet, Poole.
Good luck with your research. Sorry that I can't help further but I also do not have access to the 1911 census.

Best wishes

Morten

[HeatherLynne]

Many thanks for your help Morten.  It's odd and maybe I'm doing something wrong but I can't find Mrs Read or Milden Cottage in 1911 Kelly's on Historical Directories    I've found the white house you mention on Google Maps, even though it was called Milden Cottage that could be the right place, maybe it was named thus to make it sound homely.  Maybe the air quality there wasn't the best in Poole but probably was far superior to London I'd guess.  It's interesting that no convalescent homes were listed, maybe it wasn't the done thing to call them that at the time?

Can anyone think of a reason why four children aged 5-8 years all born in Islington would be living with non-family members at the seaside if it wasn't for convalescent purposes?  It's got me stumped!

Thanks to all for the help so far.
Heather