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  • Children's Home(s)

    This is a general question I hope someone can help with.

    A chap has come on our local Forum desperately trying to find any info about a Children's Home that he was put into (apparently by either his parents or local authorities) when he was 5 or 6 in the 1950s and where he lived until 14. This place was in the local town of Reading. He now lives in N.Lincs so is hoping someone can assist him with memorabilia/info with a view to visiting after about 40 yrs.

    One or two of the older forum members have a variety of memories of it ranging from an Orphanage to a Borstal, more by ''local chat'' than fact. As it was closed down in the 70s there's just an apartment block there now.

    He's tried online local resources and has commented that it's almost as though the records have been ''wiped clean'' - is there a central website or resource I could recommend to him?
    Dorothy G

    searching Gillett (Preston/Sheffield). Campbell and Hepburn in Glasgow

    There's no such thing as a Free Lunch

  • #2
    It might be worth creating an alert on the Adoption/Reunion board, in case there's anyone frequenting that more than here and who could help. It sounds a bit like the topics that appear there more often.

    Christine
    Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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    • #3
      Have you/he tried the Reading Local Studies Collection?

      Caroline
      Caroline's Family History Pages
      Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

      Comment


      • #4
        Not even the worst child in the world was sent to a Borstal aged 5 or 6, so forget that avenue of enquiry.

        A good place to start would be Social Services local to the Home. They will (should) know what happened to the records.

        OC

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        • #5
          Oooh that was quick thank you.

          Christine - OK I'll do that - I did wonder about that Forum.

          Caroline - yes we know of that site, which is great for photos but not a lot of info on there.

          OC - No, it's generally agreed by those who do remember it that because it was a sort-of 'closed' establishment, it was more by Mum/Dad's threat of 'If you're not good, we'll put you in......'', although there is also some comment that possibly at some later stage it did become sort of punishment establishment - but no-one knows.

          Social Services have denied all knowledge of it - and other local resources, such as the Central Library (which is usually excellent for resource) has apparently stated 'all records have been destroyed' .
          Dorothy G

          searching Gillett (Preston/Sheffield). Campbell and Hepburn in Glasgow

          There's no such thing as a Free Lunch

          Comment


          • #6
            I think a lot of these places were "closed" in the 1950s and did not encourage any interest from the locals or anyone else.

            All records have been destroyed. Oh, how I wish I had a £ for every time I've heard THAT statement. 9 times out of 10, it turns out they haven't actually been destroyed at all. Local authorities etc are utterly terrified of being sued by ex residents.

            An approach to the local MP asking to know, under the FOI Act, when the records were destroyed and on whose orders, might produce something. also, maybe a letter to the local press?

            OC

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post

              All records have been destroyed. Oh, how I wish I had a £ for every time I've heard THAT statement. 9 times out of 10, it turns out they haven't actually been destroyed at all. Local authorities etc are utterly terrified of being sued by ex residents.

              OC

              In view of what he's said about the beatings etc. when he was there I suspect there'd be some relevance in that OC.

              I could suggest he follows the next alternative, but he's a bit far stretched to pursue that - and he already seems to have ''understood' why he was placed there as apparently his Mother has 'mental problems in looking afyer him and his siblings - although he doesn't say where his siblings went

              Thank you
              Dorothy G

              searching Gillett (Preston/Sheffield). Campbell and Hepburn in Glasgow

              There's no such thing as a Free Lunch

              Comment


              • #8


                Check through this list A2A it tells you where they are stored

                Edna

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                • #9
                  Thank you Edna - I'll do that
                  Dorothy G

                  searching Gillett (Preston/Sheffield). Campbell and Hepburn in Glasgow

                  There's no such thing as a Free Lunch

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I've looked and sadly the one he's researching, which is Mockbeggar House in Reading is not listed.
                    Dorothy G

                    searching Gillett (Preston/Sheffield). Campbell and Hepburn in Glasgow

                    There's no such thing as a Free Lunch

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      These are from the Kellys Directory 1937

                      Children's Homes,
                      23&25 Milman Road, Reading, the County Borough of Reading Children's Homes.

                      109 London Road, Reading,
                      Children's Homes (headquarters); W. Foxcroft, supt.; Mrs. B. Foxcroft, matron.

                      Edna

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                      • #12
                        Thankyou once again Edna

                        I've passed the 2nd one on to him, if it's an 'headquarters' someone there may know something more. The Mockbeggar House was actually in Whiteknights which is/was (as an area) about 2 miles from that one.
                        Dorothy G

                        searching Gillett (Preston/Sheffield). Campbell and Hepburn in Glasgow

                        There's no such thing as a Free Lunch

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