Argyll Home for Orphans

[Teresam]

Help please. Has anyone heard of the Argyll Home for Orphans, Main Street, Probably in Chelsea. An ancestor,Louisa Elizabeth Preston was taken from there and baptised at the age of 9, just prior to be sent to Canada. Obviously they were making sure they only sent christian children out of the country. I would like to know if any orphage record survive.

[AdeleE]

I believe it was called the Argyll Home for Orphan & Friendless Girls, found on the 1881 Census at RG11; Piece: 77; Folio: 12; Page: 17.
The address is 25 Oakley Crescent. I notice that the next household in the enumeration is on Manor Street (I think you've misread Main Street in Louisa's 1883 baptism at St Luke Chelsea).

[Kerrywood]

I would like to know if any orphage record survive.

There are unlikely to be any independent records for the orphanage. Your best bet will be to check the children's registers for whichever poor law union may have been responsible for sending Louisa there. This may or may not be Chelsea, but as the 1881 census has her born there, that would be a reasonable starting-point.

The records are at London Metropolitan Archives, but not viewable online.

You can search the LMA catalogue to see what they have.

Log in as Guest
Enter CHBG (for Chelsea Board of Guardians) as a Reference Code (nothing in the search box), click Run Search.
Click the title link Chelsea Board of Guardians, and read the summary
Click View Child Items
Click CHBG-8 Schools, Children ...
Click View Child Items

Here you can see a list of relevant sources. These include registers of children sent by the guardians to various homes and institutions, and these records often include details of children who were emigrated to Canada in the care of other organisations.

Unfortunately none of these records can be seen online. You will need to visit LMA, or have someone go on your behalf, or use the LMA research service. Please ask again if you need more help pursuing that.

[mlkald]

This is some information we have about Louisa


1883 Annual Report of Miss Rye's Emigration Home for Destitute Little Girls - "entry No. 89 - LP, aged 8, dead father, mother left with three children, and not able to keep them.
To Mr. TW, Carpenter, Lyons, Elgin County, Ontario. Girl to be used, purpose treated as one of the family. "

1883 Placement List - "entry No. 12 - October 28,1883. Placed with Mr. Thomas Winder, Lot 13, Con 10, S. Dorchester, Lyons Range, Ontario, Carpenter -. HAS Lived Their 17 years - has 2 children - girl for work - same as Ourselves. "