Hackney Maternity Hospital

[Felinity]

My grandmother, Minnie Edith Charman was born to her unmarried mother, Lily, in Hackney Maternity Hospital in 1903. I found here https://www.workhouses.org.uk/SA/ that the Salvation Army used to run a maternity hospital in Hackney for unmarried mothers around that time, so I am hoping that is the correct one.

That website says that the Salvation Army "made efforts to locate the children's fathers, with the aim of obtaining financial support, either voluntarily or through a bastardy order" - I was wondering if there is any way of trying to find out who the father might have been? Her mother then went on to have a second illegitimate child three years later - although I haven't been able to find if he was born in the same hospital.

My mum has a photo of her mother as a baby, with a well dressed gentleman also in the picture, and there has always been speculation that maybe this was the mysterious father. I'm waiting for Mum to send a copy of this picture out to Australia for me.

Two years before Minnie's birth, in the 1901 census, Lily was working as a servant (kitchenmaid) at a house in Haywards Heath, Sussex aged 19, and ten years later as a General Servant at a house in Hove in Sussex, with her son in the East Preston Union Workhouse, Sussex (both on 1911 census) and her daughter apparently being brought up by an old friend named Emily Salter (athough I can't find them on the 1911 census anywhere)

Where can I start to try and solve the mystery of who the father might have been? Is there any database of Bastardy Orders?

[Megan Roberts]

Unfortunately there is no single data base for Bastardy Orders. By the way these are some times called Affiliation Orders.

Not every illegitimate child's father was identified anyway.

The best place to look for information would be old newspapers, which might carry such details.

[Kerrywood]

My grandmother, Minnie Edith Charman was born to her unmarried mother, Lily, in Hackney Maternity Hospital in 1903.

What is the exact place of birth given on the certificate? If it was Ivy House, in Mare Street, this was the precursor of the Hackney Mothers' Hospital and was run by the Salvation Army (see the link below).

www.
health.hackneysociety.org/page_id__55_path__0p2p32p.aspx

The records for this hospital are held by St Bartholomew's Hospital Archives. If you email them, they will send you copies of anything relevant. Ask in particular to see the 'Girl's Statement' (if they have it), as these sometimes include the father's name.

www.
bartshealth.nhs.uk/about-us/museums,-history-and-archives/st-bartholomews-archives/

Email: barts.archives (at) bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk

[Felinity]

That's really helpful, thanks - I have asked my Mum to check Nan's birth certificate for exact details.

[Felinity]

Just thought I'd update this thread - I had an answer back from the Salvation Army - and have a father's name, plus address! Really excited to be on the way to solving this family mystery at last, can't thank you all enough for pointing me in the right direction!