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  1. #1
    johndixon
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    Default Manston Cottage Homes

    Manston Cottage Homes
    In 1901, the Isle of Thanet Union opened a children's home at Manston.

    My mother was resident there from 1928 at the age of 7, until around 1936.
    On leaving the homes she went into service in Ramsgate, a position which was arranged for her.
    It would be nice to have further information on the homes.
    Anyone out there who might have had relatives there either as children or perhaps staff?

  2. #2
    busyglen
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    John, I don't know if you have seen this site? It probably won't help you with more recent information, but is interesting nevertheless.

    https://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhou...t/Thanet.shtml

    Glenys

  3. #3
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    I can work out for myself that you've already seen the entry and photographs on the Workhouse website.

    The Centre for Kentish Studies has tons of material on the Cottage Homes - mostly under reference G/TH/C eg the admission and discharge registers and many other items that may be of interest. There's also administrative stuff eg Cottage Homes Committee in G/TH/A/M/46.

    The workhouse site claims that the records are at East Kent Archives although I'm pretty sure they're at Maidstone. However a phone call will confirm where they are.

    I think you'd find a rummage through the records interesting and worthwhile.
    Last edited by Peter Goodey; 28-03-2006 at 2:04 PM.

  4. #4
    Davran
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    If you do find out any more, I would be interested. I live only a couple of miles away from Manston, so could have a snoop around to see what's there now. I often drive through the village, but very rarely stop.

  5. #5
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    The photographs I mentioned on the workhouse site were taken in 2005 after conversion to residential use.

  6. #6
    johndixon
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    Default Manston Cottage Homes

    Thank you everyone for your response.
    I have seen the site with the photographs thanks. Mum is delighted to see the pictures.

    I have contacted East Kent Archives & they were able to give me the date that mum went into the homes. They cannot give me any more information as it is still considered sensitive. They don't have all the records & indeed some are at the Centre for Kentish studies although they tell me there that a lot is missing from the later years & it is not known where this information might be.

    Interestingly, mum went into the homes at the age of 7, she had been certain that she was only 5. I have an address in Margate where her father was living at the time of her addmission. It was in Grovenor Place.

    Mum believed that her mother had died but that now appears not to be so.
    I wondered whether she might have returned to Faversham where her family were from but no sign of her.

    Mum's dad did call at the homes shortly before she was sent out at the age of 15. He was turned away & mum never saw him again.
    I am still trying to trace both parents but neither seem to turn up in BDM?

  7. #7
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    That's interesting. The catalogue shows all the stuff as being at Maidstone. I know that they have filmed the more popular bits of the Guardians' records (quite a small subset really) and I suspect that East Kent simply have copies of the film. So you struck lucky with your enquiry.

    If you want to pursue this I think you'll just have to go to Maidstone in person - hardly a major expedition from where you are!

    I don't know what all this nonsense about sensitivity is. I've never had any trouble. In the worst case (which I don't think will happen) you could draft a letter for your mum to sign demanding her records under Freedom of Information.

    Looking through the catalogue more closely, there certainly don't seem to be records going right up to 1936. The more recent records (from 1930ish) by the way are classified under CC. This corresponds to the date the Poor Law Unions were officially wound up and the responsibilites transferred to the County Council.

  8. #8
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    "I am still trying to trace both parents but neither seem to turn up in BDM?"

    Presumably you have their full names from your mum's birth certificate and her parents' marriage certificate? Then I guess it's just a long tedious slog through the BMD records.You may want to check marriages as well as deaths.

    Off the top of my head, some other things you might want to try are divorce records and electoral registers (you have an address, don't you?). Women got the vote through the 1928 Equal Franchise Act so you might be lucky. But on the other hand if it was just a case of desertion...

  9. #9
    johndixon
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    Default Manston Cottage Homes

    Thanks for that advice Peter, I will arrange a trip to Maidstone.

    John

  10. #10
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    There's a guide for new users you can download from
    https://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-c...sh-studies.htm


    What they don't tell you is that parking isn't very clever (I go on foot!). The station car park might be favourite but if you find a space it'll be at the far end. And it's not cheap.
    Also if you don't have a CARN card, you can organise it when you arrive. You'll need a passport mug shot and some ID. When you phone to make a booking you may want to check what ID they need.

    The good news is that if you get peckish, you can use the staff canteen.

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