Author Topic: Doriscourt Nursing Home Whalley Range  (Read 47900 times)

Offline clareysweeps

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #27 on: Sunday 23 June 13 17:26 BST (UK) »
Hi,

I wanted to register on this site to answer the question about the address of Doris Court.  My uncle is visiting me today (he lives in Switzerland) and we've just been to see where he was born- Doris Court.  The address was 157 Upper Chorlton Road, but it has now been knocked down and has been replaced by private and housing association flats.

If anyone has a photo of the original building I would really like to see it- he was so thrilled to see where he was born.

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #28 on: Sunday 23 June 13 23:43 BST (UK) »
All I can remember is that it was a large Victorian house.  I'd love to see a photo too if anyone has one.

Lizzie

Offline Peridot

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #29 on: Sunday 26 January 14 09:36 GMT (UK) »
I was born in Doris Court in 1951 and was always told that it was a Nursing Home owned by my father's employers. What a load of nonsense as I have discovered as I have recently visited a vets near there with a sick rabbit. I think the house has gone but there must be a photograph somewhere if only an aerial view. My relationship with my parents was so poor I am almost relieved to see that in view of the adoption aspect of Doris Court that they may not have been my natural parents although certain genes have come out such as mental illness,

Peridot  >:(

Offline neilmcleish

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #30 on: Tuesday 18 March 14 10:06 GMT (UK) »
Lizzie, you are correct that the Matron (Miss Mary Walsh) ran a private adoption service there. It was, however, perfectly legal at that time.
What is most unfortunate for me and many others who were adopted via her service is that she apparently felt that keeping records would not be a good idea. So she kept none.
I was adopted via Mary Walsh, although I was born in St. Thomas Hospital, Lambeth, in November 1967 and was moved up to Knutsford days after being born.

So there are now many of us who have little information regarding our birth parents and seemingly no obvious way of finding anything out.

I'd be very interested to hear from anyone else in this situation and of any experiences, positive or otherwise, which might help me in my own quest.

Regards to all.

Neil.

...but I'm certain the Matron also ran a private adoption service.  Whether that was illegal in the 1950s and 1960s I don't know, but I would guess it was.

Lizzie


Offline LizzieW

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #31 on: Wednesday 19 March 14 00:37 GMT (UK) »
Neil - If you are adopted I think you can apply for your adoption records which should give you your mum's name.  You can also probably get your own birth certificate (if you know what your original name was) which will also give you your mum's name, but if your mother was not married, your father's name will not be on the records, unless she actually named him. 

My daughter and her adoptive father found me themselves after having got her birth certificate and doing lots of research into my marriage and children etc.  I must ask her how she knew what her original name was, I guess they must have had her adoption papers although I know they certainly didn't use social services to trace me.

Lizzie

Offline neilmcleish

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #32 on: Wednesday 19 March 14 08:08 GMT (UK) »
Hi Lizzie.
Thanks for your reply.
That's a good outcome to your story. :-)
I do actually have my birth mother's name and my original name - thankfully, my parents were forward thinking enough to keep a certain amount of information, so there is quite a bit that I do know.  It is just that the final piece of the puzzle is taking a while to fall into place and I may yet need to try a tracing agent of some sort.  I am currently awaiting information from an acquaintance who traces people for probate purposes (a sort of 'heir-hunter', for want of a better description).  He has various resources at his disposal and is going to give me some further advice.

Your daughter may have got her original name from the county courts, as they hold various pieces of information which can be used to tie things together.
Unfortunately, all I got from my local court - the one through which my adoption was completed, was a fairly standard letter saying there are no data other that those I have.

I'll keep digging!  :-)

All the best,

Neil.

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #33 on: Wednesday 19 March 14 10:52 GMT (UK) »
Neil

Just send a reply to this - even saying OK will do.  Then you will have made 3 posts and I will be able to send you a PM (Private Message) telling you how my daughter and her father found me.  It might be helpful for you.

Lizzie

Offline neilmcleish

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #34 on: Wednesday 19 March 14 12:19 GMT (UK) »
Hi Lizzie.
Thanks for this.
All help is hugely appreciated.
I'll look forward to the PM

Neil :-)

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Doris Court Whalley Range
« Reply #35 on: Wednesday 19 March 14 12:44 GMT (UK) »
Neil

The way I was traced was that my daughter and her adoptive father, used her birth certificate to find my name.  From that they looked for a marriage and also  my birth, just to check that they had the correct marriage as both give father's names.  I suppose if I'd been illegitimate too, that might not have worked.

Having found my married name they then searched for any children I might have had, as you can search for a birth of say Smith, and quote the mother's maiden name, say Brown for all births from 1912 onwards.  Having found the very last child, they wrote to the address on the birth certificate in case we were still there.  We weren't as we tend to move around with my husband's work.  The people in the house were very helpful and said where they thought we'd moved to, but we couldn't be found there either - of course we'd already moved.  Eventually, my daughter's adoptive father (Mr M) decided to search through electoral rolls to see if he could find me and my husband but he said there were too many with our names, so he thought he'd look for our children (well our sons anyway) to see if that was easier.  Fortunately one of our sons is called Guy, and there were only 4 of that name and our surname in the electoral rolls.  Mr M decided to ring each one, but struck lucky first time.  He just told our son that he was doing family research and that he thought he had a connection with my family.  He gave my son my name and his dad's name, plus the names of his siblings to show he knew what he was talking about.  My son gave him my 'phone number but said we were moving soon.  However, they looked us up in the 'phone book, we're not x-directory, to find my address.  Then my daughter wrote a letter to me, on the lines of that she knew me many years ago in 1960 and would like to get in touch again, so that if anyone else saw it, it wouldn't mean anything to them.

Of course, I'd not told anyone about my first daughter, not even my husband, but I wrote back to her and said I'd have to tell my family.  It took me about a year to pluck up courage, but my husband was wonderful and just said "When are we going to see her then".  My sons were all happy for me and one of my sons and his wife have met my daughter.  However, my daughter with my husband was not happy and doesn't want to know anything about her.

My daughter's adoptive parents said that from the day they picked her up from Doriscourt, they were adamant that one day they would find me, as they felt that the happiness they'd got was outweighed by the sadness I must have felt.  I've actually met them more than my daughter, as she doesn't live in the UK, and they are always so grateful that I gave them my daughter - of course I didn't know who she was going to. 

Hopefully, you might be able to trace your birth mother using the methods Mr M used.  In fact he did most of the searching as he lives in UK and is retired and he had to spend hours in the library looking through electoral rolls, and I guess BMDs as he didn't have a PC at the time. 

Good luck - but tread carefully if you do find your birth mother as you might be her secret.  Just write her a letter saying that you knew each other in (whatever year you were born) and that you'd like to get in touch with her again.  You could even sign the letter with the name she gave you so that she'd know who you were.  Be ready for the fact that she may not want to have any contact with you though.

Lizzie