Find Ancestors

Thank you. I have only just seen all the great input as we have all been asleep here in New Zealand. I will be following up as soon as I am able. Sadly cannot get to Matlock from New Zealand but they MAY just help me online at the Records Office.
Thanks again, I will keep posting on my discoveries. Roger

Nudged for Roger in New Zealand

Thank you for the suggestion jjl. I am crossing fingers for Tuesday - as it would tie up all the family stories very nicely - but I will certainly look out for the Masonics.

Tina x

Hi Marie

I am hoping to get to the records office on Tuesday to look at the records for the Webb Orphanage. If you would like me to look for you rellies too just pm me the details. I will pm you too

Tina

Thank you all for your input - things are a little clearer on railway orphanages - think I will have to take a look at both Derby and Chester Record Offices to find out where they were sent to... just need to find the time to do so (and the money for the train fares!!!)... that is probably all too familiar with everyone right now...

Still if anyone else knows anything more please add to this as the more information known the better.

Marie

Hi Mazk
My great grandfather worked for the Railway in Liverpool. When he died in 1915 he left 5 children orphaned (their mum had died 3 years earlier.) Family stories said they were put into an orphanage in Crewe and sometime later they were taken out by their aunt and taken back to Liverpool to live with her family.
I did some looking around the internet and found that there was an orphanage in Crewe specifically for the children of former Railway worker, the Webb Orphanage. The orphanage was financed by Francis William Webb who died in 1906 and left a sum of £53,857 to a group of Trustees to fund the creation of the Webb Orphans fund. The orphanage housed children who had lost a parent due to an accident within the company. The Webb orphanage took in its first children in 1912.
The records for the orphanage are kept at Chester Records Office. I don't know whether there are any other Railway Orphanages in the North though.
Tina

The most likely "Railway Orphanage" would be St. Christopher's (its official name), located in Derby.

Railway staff (including my Dad) made voluntary contributions to its upkkeep, on the understanding that if they died whilst working for the Railways, their children were cared for.

The records of all children are kept at the Derbyshire Records Office in Matlock.

Good hunting
Kathleen

Just for info - my great-grandfather was Richard Macham and was a railway platelayer.

Yes I have their location in 1901.... They were both in Wolverhampton at this time - as they were upon my great-grandfather's death in 1916.

I tried the google idea and found too many entries for me to evalulate.... I was wondering if anyone had any idea of the location of any railway orphanages in the north of england - well north of wolverhampton atleast!!! I saw a query for one in derby here...

Marie

I have never thought of doing a google search - so I'll do that now... fingers crossed...

I have the location of my great-grandfather on the census' . He and my great-grandmother were married in 1907 - and my grandfather was born in 1909... Can't wait till I can get access to 1911 Census...

Thanks all,

Marie

have you tried googling railway orphanages?

Hi

I am hoping someone out there can help me out with where to start looking for information on Railway Orphanages... if thats what they are called. This story is what my father told me about his father - but I am at a loss of where to begin or even if such a place existed.

My great-grandfather died suddenley and quite unexpectedly in 1916 when he was just 41. He left behind a wife and 2 young sons (and quite possibly a baby daughter, who I have yet to confirm with a birth certificate). For whatever reason though it was possibly one of her lack of ability to support her family, they (her 2 sons) were sent to an "orphanage up North ran by the Railway company" as my great- grandfather worked for them. I have no idea where up north it was nor if it was an orphanage nor if it was run by the railway company. I am unaware which company he worked for at the time of his death.... By "up North", I think my dad meant it was miles away from their birthplace and hometown of Wolverhampton.

Can anyone out there help me with a few pointers, ideas of where to search to find them and what exactly happened to them.... I would even love to find out what happened to their mother (and the possible baby) during this time.

Thanks,

Marie