barrholm childrens home, largs

[provan]

looking for information about barrholm, largs. was a home for neglected children in the early part of the 20th century.

[Celia.H]

hi provan

i too am looking for information of the childrens home at barrhol, largs. for the 1930's.  I was told a little story and few years back thet it had actually burnt down and the records were distroyed but i have yet to find any facts about this.  will keep you in mind if i do find anything.m kindest regards. celia

[provan]

celia, thank-you for your reply. all i know is that it was a home for neglected children. i have tried various places to find out where the records have gone. tried gros, paisley library, ayreshire scocial work, and mitchel library. this may help you to cut down your search.

[MonicaL]

Hi Provan and Celia

There is really next to nothing on line is there about the home  All I can see are a few snippet views of entries on 'google books' and a couple of job ads looking for a matron for the home through the late 1940s. Described in these as a home for up to 35 children, all of school age.

Monica

[mari0119]

Barrholm did not burn down it was shut down in 1983. It is now an old folks hom called moorburn home.

It was not for neglected children as all different kids were there. There were some orphans, kids put in as the parents got divorced, others that needed extra support, some disabled ect. You must remember that if you were disabled or your parents were seperated the courts put the kids in homes as they thought this was better for them.

It was never a nice place to be as they rued with the hand. Sorry if I upset anyone but I remeber being beaten for going to the toilet.

[MonicaL]

Hi Mari0119

Welcome to RootsChat 

Monica

[Celia.H]

Hi Monica, Mari

From stories I have heard there are not a lot of homes that children where not beaten. sadly my late uncle was sent to the quarriers and had it beaten into him that he had no family and would have to stand on his own two feet, when in fact he had sisters (these are the ones I'm trying to find out where they were placed. I know it was not the quarriers and it had been hinted that it could have been barrholm in largs. around 1920/23 mum was a baby probably about 12 months and her sister about 3 years. There is another part to their tale and it could be they were put with nuns in that area before being transferred up to the highland where they spent their days in foster care there until they left home or got married. I have a feeling it was something to do with the nuns that was burnt down, but again it is only guess work and what the girls had a vague memory of being told (rightly or wrongly sometimes)

so i guess its back to the drawing board try and locate poor law records etc that might mention them

hope you two have better luck with your quests.

kindest regards
Celia

[provan]

I have tried to find anything about the home. Nobody seems to know anything. The records seem to be lost, as I have tried Edinburgh, Paisley and the Mitchell. If anybody knows where else I can try, Please Let Me Know

[katrina42]

Just came across this post,3 of my brothers went to Barrholm in largs late 1974-5 was quite a large building from memory with a lot of children at that time,our parents had split as was mentioned above and the reason my brothers were sent there.They did not like it, i just remember a very Victorian looking building with steps leading up and a lot of children there.