Southfield Home, Westbury-on-Trym: what was it?

[JaneyH_104]

I'm trying to find out any information about Southfield Home, Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol. It is mentioned as the residence of someone I'm researching. Florence Brooks was baptised at St. John the Evangelist in Clifton, in October 1915. By this point she was aged 20; no parents names are given, and the baptism was performed by the chaplain of the home rather than the vicar.

My guess is this might have been a home for single women, given that as far as I know she was unmarried at this point in time. (She married in February 1916 in Devonport, Devon.) A little more than a year after she married she was prosecuted for soliciting and her husband imprisoned for living off immoral earnings!

I've looked through the listings on Peter Higginbotham's websites for workhouses and children's homes to no avail, and a basic Google search leaves me none the wiser. I'm hoping that by posting here there will be someone with local knowledge who can shed some light on this.

[KGarrad]

I think this is now called Southfield House?
Now an set of offices.

[arthurk]

I'm not an expert on the area, but the 1911 Census includes the Bristol Female Penitentiary on Southfield Road, Westbury-on-Trym - RG14/15098 sch291.

There are 5 members of staff and 12 female inmates aged from 15 to 24, working as Laundresses. Their birthplaces were all over the country, and none in the Bristol area.

[JenB]

Following on from arthur's posting,

Horfield and Bishopston Record and Montepelier & District Free Press,  22nd June 1901

[KGarrad]

Southfield House can be seen on Google Street View.
Traveling north on Southfield Road, it's the first building on the right, about 100 metres down.
Behind a wall and mature trees!
BS9 3BH

[JaneyH_104]

Thanks, arthurk - that's an interesting possibility. I've looked at the Census page and while Florence is not listed there, she could easily have been there in 1915.

[JaneyH_104]

Thanks, KGarrad - I've just had a little 'walk' along there via Google Streetview. I've also located it on the Bristol Know Your Place website. Looks like I have another line of research opening up! It turns out it IS listed on Peter Higginbotham's website - link here: http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/MH/ and then click through to Gloucestershire. Given the nature of the institution and the background of the 'inmates' I can see why it might have been the chaplain to the home who conducted the baptism, rather than the incumbent vicar.

[Capetown]

There is a website

Magdalen Homes - Gloucestershire ......  childrenshomes.org.uk


Bristol Female Penintentiary, Southfield House, Westbury on Trym, Bristol

Fallen woman from diocese of Bristol free; otherwise, small payment, remain two years.

22 places, ages 18-23.

Magdalen Homes - ....  Rather than indicating the nature of these institutions facilities or regime, it reflects the circumstance of their inmates - girls and young womn who had 'fallen' (or who were considered in danger of doing so), especially those who had become pregnant or involved in prostitution.