Paxton Park Maternity Home

[Cole]

Hi. I was born in Paxton Park Maternity Home on 9th Oct 1946. My mother was in the army and like many young women at that time she was sent there to give birth. Are there any records stating where these women were before being sent there. I believe my father was in the army also but for reasons unknown to me my mother chose to to put father unknown on my birth certificate even though she had contact with him after I was born for maintenance money. I have since found out that his name was J P from Whiston Liverpool. I am trying to trace any of his family but keep coming up against a brick wall because I have no idea where they were posted together, making it hard to trace his records. My mother has passed away and sadly I didn't ask questions, denial. My mother and I did go back to London after she had me. Are there any records from this maternity home, is the home still there even. Is there anyway to trace details on army personal from this era. Any help would be appreciated. My e-mail is [email protected]
Any idea's and also info on this maternity home would be a godsend
Tessa Cole

[Coromandel]

Hi Tessa and welcome to the forum

I just tried googling for information and discovered an earlier thread on this forum about Paxton Park.

[Cole]

Hi there, yes I did see the previous info but it doesn't say whether the Maternity Hosp is still there, is Paxton worth a visit I wonder. Been confining my search in Whiston to date but although I knew I was born in St Neots I only found out about Paxton Maternity Hosp and that that was where I was born today so thought I would give this route a try. I really need to find out where my Mum was stationed before she got pregnant, have no idea how to go about this, my hope is that the hospital records, if they still exist, would have it. I always thought she was in St Neots because she was stationed there and that is where she met my Dad, apparently not.

[Peter Goodey]

Service records?

https://www.veterans-uk.info/service_...e_records.html

[Cole]

Thanks for info, will try this. Will let you know if I find anything.
Tessa

[Peter Goodey]

It looks as if Paxton Park was a mansion in temporary use as a wartime hospital, primarily for evacuees. See Cambridgeshire Record Office.

Also I think you'll be interested in reading an article in the current edition of the Genealogists' Magazine (Vol 30 No. 5 Mar 2011) documenting one woman's experience of giving birth at Paxton Park.

If you're not a member of the Society of Genealogists you could phone and see if they'll sell you a copy.

[Cole]

Thank you so much for the info, I really have no idea where to start but I am finding the best info comes through word of mouth, or e-mail, saves so much time.

[Cole]

Rang th Veterans UK Info Service. They were not sure if they could help because I have little info but are going to send me a info request form and do their best. Thy like to have at least a service number. You have to pay £30 up front with no refund and it takes around 9 months for an answer. Yes, 9 months. May go along with it as I have nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain. Thanks for the link

[Cole]

Does anyone know where the records for Paxton Park Hospital are kept. They seem to have vanished without a trace, along with the hospital it seems, or a cover up when you think how some of the mothers were treated, not very sympatheticaly it seems. There must be some record somewhere and if they were destroyed then it was criminal, as if these mothers were discarded along with the paper. If anyone has any info please get in touch, I know of several 'Paxton Babes' who would like an answer and we will keep on searching.
Tess xx

[Cole]

Hi, rang the magazine and for a fee of £16 they sent me photocopies of the article you recomended. Very informative and very sad, made me cry for my mum, no wonder the records are not to be found, the way those women were treated was shameful. I and a few others also born there are going all out to find out more about this time, we still believe there are some records somewhere. Thank you so much for the lead,
Tessa Cole