Shirley orphanage, near Southampton

[Tricie]

Following the death of her parents my mother was placed in I believe a Barnardo Home, Wordsworth Road, Shirley from 1916 till 1923.  I can find no information or photos of this Home.

Would anyone be able to help me?

[Valda]

Hi

Welocme to Rootschat

Barnardos have an online list of all their homes

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history/barnardos_homes.htm

Do you mean Shirley Southampton Hampshire because you have posted on the London and Middlesex board? There was a Barnardos home in Shirley Southampton but not in Wordsworth Road, or do you mean Shirley in London (Shirley Croydon?)


Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Hi


'Ashdene,
33 Regents Park Road,
Shirley,
Southampton.

Opened 1902 as a home for boys. 1929 provided training for girls moved from Wordsworth Road. 1939-40 a hostel for shipping boys. Closed during war years 1939-45.
Closed December 1973.'

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history/barnardos_homes/barnardos_homes_se.htm


Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Hi


The fact that it is not listed by Barnados may mean that it was not a Barnardos Home but children were moved to the local Barnardos Home when it closed?

Would you like me to move your post to the Hampshire Board where local Hampshire specialists may be able to help further.


Regards

Valda
co-moderator London and Middlesex

[Tricie]

Sorry, I am in Australia so don't have a good knowledge of the areas..... I have documentation from Barnardos that my mother was sent to the Girls Village Home in Barkingside in Essex for one month in 1916.  Then moved to the "Home at Wordsworth Road Shirley near Southampton. "  She stayed at this home until 1923, returned to the Girls Village Home before sailing for New South Wales.

My dilemma is that I can find no information or photographs at all on the Home where my mother spent her childhood.

[Valda]

Hi


You can obtain your mother's records from Barnardos but they charge a quite high fee.


http://www.barnardos.org.uk/fosteringandadoption/fosteringandadoption_resources/fosteringandadoption_making_connections.htm

You could email them and ask about the home since it doesn't seem to be on their list. They list two homes in Southampton

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history/barnardos_homes/barnardos_homes_se.htm


This webpage however indicates the home and houses in the Wordsworth Road area was run by the poor law guardians

http://www.shirley-inf.southampton.sch.uk/school/about_us.htm


There certainly were a series of Cottage Homes established by the Southampton poor law guardians around Hollybrook Children's Home (boys) though the Workhouse website does not show one specifically in Wordsworth Road.


Workhouse website (put Southampton into the search engine)

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/


The records for these cottage homes will be held at Southampton Archives and they will be able to confirm whether one was at Wordsworth Road at the time you are interested in, in which case Barnardos purely took the children for short periods for whatever reason.


http://www.workhouses.org.uk/


I will move your post to the Hampshire board as someone may have local knowledge which may help  further.


Regards

Valda

[Tricie]

Thank you for your suggestions Valda.  What information I have is from Barnardos.  However, despite my mother being at the Shirley Home, they stated that they 'have no photographs or information about the Home in Shirley'.  Very frustrating.

[Valda]

Hi


Try Southampton Archives and establish who actually administered the Wordsworth Road 'Home'.


Regards

Valda

[bearkat]

Here's a photograph of Ashdene

http://www.goldonian.org/photos/photo_archive_homes/pages/ashdene.htm