holy rood house , marton middlesbrough

[jackie mac]

hi I am trying to find a grandmother of a friend . She believes she was brought to this country (from Holland / Germany ? ) around 1910 as a small child and brought up in an convent in Middlesbrough (then North Yorkshire)
The convent was called Holy Rood and was on Marton Rd Middlesbrough Cleveland . She was given , she believes , a "celtic" name - Thelma Evans . This is why it is proving difficult to research her as it was not her birth name. We believe her birth year to be around 1905/6. We do not know why she came to England or why her name was changed and would like to find out while my friends mother is still alive. She subsequently married a Laurence Fryett in June 1929 in Middlesbrough. I have asked my friend to apply for the marriage cert as this will have , hopefully some details of her father although I doubt it, which is why I have posted this message. Hope someone out there can throw some light on this mystery or suggest where to begin. thank you .

[Night Owl]

Hi Jackie

This article says that the Erdley Villa, Marton Rd was occupied by E W Hornung for some time and that "The house is perhaps more better known locally as the Convent of The Community of The Holy Rood, who occupied the property between 1920 and 1979"

Middlesbrough Council : Middlesbrough Council Press Releases: Background information on E W Hornung

That being the case I wonder whether Thelma was elsewhere in England before she moved there or she is younger than you thought

[hughar]

The same question was posted on an Ancestry board in October 2008. At that time it contained the additional information "Thelma remembered being visited by a man and the name BURROWS appears to be significant.".

Is there any firm evidence that her name was changed? Have you tried searching for Thelma Evans born 1900-1910 in the 1911 census?

[jackie mac]

yes it is the same post , I omitted the Burrows as I have no evidence of this . Thelma Evans appears 4 times on the 1911 census but not locally. I am awaiting the marriage certificate to see if there is a father named and an address but I remembered this site and thought it might be worth another try while we wait. I have no evidence that her name was changed other than hearsay . I personally wonder if Thelma was a servant / employee at the Convent rather than a orphan as this was not an orphanage as far I as I can see .But if she was right and she had her name changed and came from another country why would that happen and would there be records??

[Jessbowbag]

this is the only one I can find anywhere up north at all

EVANS B THELMA M 1908 3 Birkenhead Cheshire <<<1911 census

she appears to be with a EVANS BLANCHE E B F 1873 38 Birkenhead Cheshire

[borobabs]

I like just round the corner from this ;
The grounds were sold of and the Priory club bought a large chunk of it and the club is on it ;;a few years ago they sold of some of the lard and now its a Aldi shop ;;
all that is left of the original building is a very small part which I could get you a photo of tomorrow ;;
Think you would need to contact Middlesbrough Archives to see if they have a picture of the original build and records in there archives dear ;;If they have I can get there to find out what I can for you , have already promised 2 members to go and do some hunting around for them;;

[hughar]

this is the only one I can find anywhere up north at all

EVANS B THELMA M 1908 3 Birkenhead Cheshire <<<1911 census

she appears to be with a EVANS BLANCHE E B F 1873 38 Birkenhead Cheshire

That's probably the Blanche Thelma Evans whose birth was registered in Jun qtr 1908 at Birkenhead, vol.8a, page 577.

Interesting that in the 1911 census she is recorded by her middle name, with her first name reduced just to an initial.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Well, she can't have been brought up in a convent that didn't open till 1920 unless she was born much later than you thought.

Also - Thelma is not a celtic name. However, it was quite common for nuns to change the names of orphans/servants to something "more suitable". (Plainer, in other words, no Ermyntrudes or Tallulahs allowed. So why Thelma then, as that was and is still quite an unusual name)

I am wondering if she was either a German, Jewish or both. After 1911 it wasn't a good idea to be either German or Jewish, so her name may have been changed to something less obviously German/foreign.

OC

[borobabs]

Hi Jackie

This article says that the Erdley Villa, Marton Rd was occupied by E W Hornung for some time and that "The house is perhaps more better known locally as the Convent of The Community of The Holy Rood, who occupied the property between 1920 and 1979"

Middlesbrough Council : Middlesbrough Council Press Releases: Background information on E W Hornung

That being the case I wonder whether Thelma was elsewhere in England before she moved there or she is younger than you thought

Oh just read this about Holy Rood , and very surprised at that , thought the grounds of the Priory club where built on that I know the entrance to it is the [athway leading to aldi which you will see tomorrow when I put pic up ;;hmmm ???