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  1. #11
    marymog
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    I think you may be right, here is an excerpt of a 2nd world war memory

    ........The bomb which affected me most was probably a small one. It damaged a wall at the back of the former Workhouse in Swaffield Street in Earlsfield. The vibration knocked over a broom by the back door and the noise seemed to go on through my head...........

    mm

    though I cant for the life of me remember any sort of institution in Brocklebank Rd..........But then as a kid these things seem to go unnoticed.

    mm

  2. #12
    marymog
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    Default

    another news item taken from the New Age March 19. 1919

    A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE WORKHOUSE.
    Late one night, shortly before Christmas Day, a constable
    found two bundles in Allfarthing Lane. Wandsworth.
    In one a pretty baby lay sleeping cosily. The
    other bundle consisted of baby’s spare clothing-two
    complete sets. Baby and the clothing were speedily
    taken to Swaffield Road Workhouse. There much surprise
    was occasioned by the costliness of the linen, which
    seemed to demonstrate that the child had a well-to-do
    parentage. Surprise deepened when 30s. in cash fell
    from the clothes the child was wearing. The suggestion
    is that the mother, whoever she was, wanted none of the
    State money-she gave it to the workhouse. The baby
    was warm and cheerful when brought to the institution.
    If: could not, therefore, have long been exposed before
    discovery. On Christmas Day It took its milk with
    healthful heartiness.....

    mm

  3. #13
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    Red face

    Thank you both of you for your responses.

    I have found the website on workhouses and been on the LMA site and got a list of possible records to look through.

    The only reference I have to Swaffield Road is in a newspaper cutting my family found in his house after he died. It was something about his school and I think he was about eleven at the time and it just mentioned his name and said 'of Swaffield Road'.

    I have already established he was illegitimate and on his birth certificate it mentions a different address - Turtle Road. I don't know if you know of it, it no longer exists but from old maps was also off Garratt Lane - My mum (it's her father I'm researching) is certain that this address was my grandfather's aunts house where she lived with her husband and children.

    What I am trying to ascertain is even though he wasn't born in a work house, what was the likelyhood of him and his mother having to go to one at some point after? Or did he just move into a cheap house later in life on the other side of the street? - All I have is a birth in Turtle Road and I know he'd moved somewhere in Swaffield Road by the time he was in secondary school.

    My mum has said she is prepared to pay someone at the LMA to look through certain records as it is not easy, or cheap to get to London. However, it is potentially incredibly costly and there's no point, for example, in getting someone to look through the baptisms in Swaffield Road Workhouse if I can be fairly sure there is no chance anything of significance is going to be there.

  4. #14
    marymog
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    have you considered that he may have been in the orphanage, the one I was confused with. that was on Swaffield rd.

    Me and my bloomin orphanage . it comes from the tales of horror that my sisters told me of the weeks they spent there when my mother was sick!! and when ever I passed it I was always feeling sorry for the poor kids that I saw playing in the yard. behind the really high railings...

    Turtle Road rings a bell, but my memory isnt too good anymore. I was thinking last night about Brocklebank. I remember when I was a kid, they never said anybody came from Brocklebank Rd, they said "Brocklebank", and it had a bit of a stigma attached, but further than that I cannot remember.

    good luck

    mm

  5. #15
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    Red face

    Thanks Marymog.

    I'm keeping my options open on the whole situation, as nothing seems to be as it was told!!!

    I do know that he was brought up by his mother for most of his life. We have a couple of photographs of him and his mother when he looks about four, his mother attended his first marriage - we have a photo of that as well when she was middle aged - not long before she died. He also relayed a vast quantity of stories from his childhood involving his mother. I am aware there seems to have been a certain amount of deception here but I can't believe the whole lot was an invention on my grandads part.

    I'm trying to familiarise myself with the social situation of that time and I'm not really sure what went on back then. I suppose he could have gone to an orphanage temporarily - as I say after he was about 6 weeks old - when he was registered - I have no categoric proof that he was with his mother until he was in his teens.

    How easy was it to visit a child in an orphanage as a parent if the child wasn't strictly speaking an orphan?

    What would they have had to have to done to get their child back?

    On the workhouse point: How much freedom at that time would there have been to go and visit family etc...etc..?

    I'm being realistic here: My grandfathers mother had an illegitimate child, she would have had to support herself somehow, I know she had connections with one of her sisters but realistically she wouldn't have been able to have been kept. I also know it was a big social stigma at that time, it is possible she could have been disowned by most of her family.
    The obvious answer is to get the LMA to check records, but I'm trying to narrow the possibilities down to avoid huge expense.

    Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated.
    Last edited by A Lee; 30-04-2006 at 8:02 PM.

  6. #16
    marymog
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    Hi its me again

    As I said my sisters went into the orphanage when my mother was sick, so obviously orphanges werent just for "orphans", they were also for children who couldn't be cared for by the parents.

    My dad was illegitimate, born in 1915, I think his family disowned him, only one aunty would ever have anything to do with him. His mum married a widower, and took on his children and had lots more aswell, but he was always the outcast of this family aswell. There was a massive stigma with base born children.

    What was your grandads name?? My brother in law lived in Swaffield road all his life, he is now well into his sixties, and a bit of a gossip, maybe he knows a tidbit or two. he knows older people who lived there aswell.

    I will ask him if you like, but i will need a name,

    mm

  7. #17
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
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    Red face

    Thanks Marymog. The surname I'm referring to his Hammant I've private messaged you with more details as mum doesn't want everything publicised until we know more.

  8. #18
    sheppardsls
    Guest

    Default Swaffield Road

    I am trying to trace the history of Hilda Mary Painter born at Swaffield Road Institution in 1915. Her mothers name was Mary Painter. Wot happened to illegitamate children born at Swaffield Road , believe Hilda Painter was brought up in a convent.
    Please email me back on sheppardsls AT aol DOT com

    Thanks
    Last edited by Mutley; 12-09-2008 at 4:02 PM. Reason: EDITED EMAIL TO AVOID SPAM

  9. #19
    Reputation beyond repute
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    "I am trying to trace the history of Hilda Mary Painter born at Swaffield Road Institution in 1915. Her mothers name was Mary Painter. Wot happened to illegitamate children born at Swaffield Road , believe Hilda Painter was brought up in a convent."

    I don't understand "wot" but you seem to be asking about a birth in 1915. There is a fair bit of information in this thread. In addition to the birth register you may also want to look at the Creed Register. The "Registers of children at RC and certified schools and Exmouth Training Ship" may also be of interet to you. As has already been pointed out, records are at the London Metropolitan Archives and there is a comprehensive catalogue on A2A.

    https://www.a2a.org.uk/ and search on "Swaffield Road"

    https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/corpo...arch/index.htm

    "Please email me....."
    It doesn't work like that. This a public forum.

  10. #20
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
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    Default

    Sheppardsls, I don't know if your relative would have been baptized there but you can check a register of baptisms at Swaffield Rd workhouse 1911-1935 and there are admission and discharge registers also available from the LMA. (Check their website for reference)

    I am in the process of applying for someone at the LMA to research my relative, as I live nowhere near London. It is quite longwinded though and expensive, so if you are able to physically check yourself it might be easier.

    It sounds like you already know she was born there so possibly looking for a discharge record would be a lead to the timescale she was there.

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