Foundling Hospital Records at LMA

[Kaybron]

Just wondering if anyone has been successful finding records relating to an ancestor who was placed into care at the Foundling Hospital.   A cousin has just passed on information relating to my grandmother and I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile following this through with the LMA.  As I do not live in England I would have to pay for the research to be carried out.

[Ruskie]

If the records are held at the LMA there may be someone willing to do a lookup for you. You might have to check to see if there is any restriction on accessing these records though.

[avm228]

This may be of assistance:

http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/43D788AA-6CF4-4D17-B28B-89CA80779701/0/33FINDINGYOURFOUNDLING.pdf

[mc8]

I am going there in a couple of weeks-if you want to find the relevant records details and what you want to know, I'll try to access the info for you

[Kaybron]

Thank you avm228 for the link.   Will have to read carefully and work out if I will be able to access records.  My Grandmother, I believe was born in 1880 although I'm not absolutely sure of this.  The first time that she appears in any Census records is in 1901.  Apart from a birth date of 14 August 1880 and place of birth as Linton, Kent, this is the main information we have.  My grandmother does give a name of a father on her marriage certificate but I think this was made up as she did not know who her parents were.

Thank you mc8 for this offer.  I will try to work out the exact records that need to be accessed. 

[[Ray]]

Hi

Whoops, and I read that bit twice, sorry.
(Must need a holiday)

For your pile of notes . . . . .

1891 Maidstone Union Workhouse, Linton
RG12 686 89 page1
Ada Smith 12 Visitor Schoolgirl Maidstone

Listed immediately above
John Nelson Harris 26
Maria Harris 25
Harry Harris 2

2 names out of 4 in FreeBMD
Marriage Jun 1888 Maidstone 2a 1086
Harris John Nelson
Smith Maria


Ray

[avm228]

Hi

For your pile of notes . . . . .

1891 Maidstone Union Workhouse, Linton
RG12 686 89 page1
Ada Smith 12 Visitor Schoolgirl Maidstone

Listed immediately above
John Nelson Harris 26
Maria Harris 25
Harry Harris 2

2 names out of 4 in FreeBMD
Marriage Jun 1888 Maidstone 2a 1086
Harris John Nelson
Smith Maria

It looks as though this Ada has already been ruled out:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,612729.msg4618849.html#msg4618849

[josey]

I note from the linked post that you say your grandmother 'celebrated her birthday on 14 Aug' & told her children she was born in 1880.

Sorry to be pessimistic but I don't think you can take any of that given information as truth. The receiving institution may have allotted her a date of birth by educated guesswork. She may have, as the link avm gave states, been given a new name, and it may have been in Linton that she was fostered for her first few years rather than born.

I share with many others the frustration of trying to find unnamed fathers on birth certificates or baptisms, made-up fathers on marriage certificates etc! More often than not, we have to admit there are some ancestors we won't find without a seance!

However, your post is actually asking if anyone has had success in finding ancestors in foundling records. I am sure there are & it will be interesting to see what replies you get on that front.

Josey 

[mc8]

what evidence do you have for her at The Foundling Hospital?