St Pancras Foundling Hospital

[kermie62]

I tracked an ancestor John HOLLIS back in 1841 census to the St Pancras Foundling Hospital. Would anyone know wether those records still exist anywhere.

[Kerrywood]

Foundling Hospital archives are held at the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). There's some useful guidance here (http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/archive.php)

Kerrywood

[Peter Goodey]

...and the LMA research guidance is here -

http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/F54A5F9A-1394-406E-B971-7AFC796BE724/0/Infono31.pdf

[kermie62]

Thanks for the response and link

Spent some time on the LMA site last night, seems they are changing thier archives and didnt have much luck finidng anything.

It also contains a rather nasty surprise in that I am researching my (adoptive) paternal line which is HOLLIS. According to this brochure, the children were rebaptised when they were admitted and given a new name. So our name HOLLIS may simply be a name assigned in the 1830's. My only hope is that this change only applied to infants and not only infants were accepted, a faint hope I think It also means I have spent hours and days trying to link him to potential parents in the IGI which has been wasted.

[Nicolina]

If you mean the Thomas Coram Foundling Hospital, they do have their old records. An ancestor of mine was admitted there and their records even included a piece of material from the clothes he was wearing when he was admitted.

[kermie62]

The 1841 census simply calls it the Foundling Hospital in Saint Pancras or the Saint Pancras Foundling Hospital. That must be so amazing to actually see a piece of your family history like that. Perhaps that is what they mean by the mother leaving a token

[Peter Goodey]

didnt have much luck finidng anything.

The records are not online - someone will need to visit in person.

[Nicolina]

What was really amazing was the amount of information there was in the records, especially as he was admitted in 1760. Thankfully he was one of a minority - they knew his proper name even though they changed it. The surname they gave him was kind of unique, as a consequence of which I haven't found anyone with that name, in Yorkshire, who isn't a descendant.
Now why can I not find any clues to Grandma before her marriage?
Elaine

[kermie62]

What was really amazing was the amount of information there was in the records, especially as he was admitted in 1760. Thankfully he was one of a minority - they knew his proper name even though they changed it. The surname they gave him was kind of unique, as a consequence of which I haven't found anyone with that name, in Yorkshire, who isn't a descendant.
Now why can I not find any clues to Grandma before her marriage?
Elaine

I find it amazing, I can find more information about people who lived 200 years ago yet my Great Grandfatehr appeared out of nowhere, fathered my grandmother and then dissppeared after a few years. all we know is that he must have died by now.

[benny1982]

Hi

Many foundlings were illegitimate children who were put up for adoption if their mother had little or no prospects of marrying or family support.

Ben