Genealogy Chat

Hi Clive - sorry, I didn't mean to ignore your previous question I apologise - I know the child was given up by his natural mother and 'taken-in' by another family. What I don't know is how old he was when this happened, and as the 'adoptive' mother had apparently put her own children into a children's home until they were old enough to work I thought this could be a possibility - I just wondered where to start. kind regards

It has been said already but do you have reason to suppose the child went to an orphanage? In addition to Barnados there was also the National Childrens Homes (still running) and probably a local authority home or two. There may have been an Anglican Home at the time. Without knowing anything of the set-up I think you do need to remember that having an illegitimate child was not the end of life. There were at that time hostels for the mum's with their children. There were also Poor Law Guardian Placements which were the equivalent of adoptions and the adoption movement was alive but not the large organisation it was to become by 1920 - which was still 6 years before adoptions became law. There was a law about what could be done with children under the age of 7 as far as baby-minders for money was concerned but it is known that the law was ignored in many cases. Clive

I was born in Queen Charlottes as was my OH and Daughter The old one has now gone,but the new one is next to Hammersmith hospital DuCane rd Sheppards Bush

Thanks very much Paul and Clive for your kind help. I know Mum & child left in good health as I have the birth record from QC Hospital. It said mother was CofE (S) which I take to be single. I have already enquired at Barnardo's and they have no record of child. What I wondered was whether there was a preferred 'institution' used by the hospital or the mothers of illegitimate children coming out of the hospital? I wondered if someone on GR might know. Yes, it is an uphill battle with so little to go on, but is too important to let go. many thanks once again

My daughter was born at Queen Charlottes. It's now been demolished. You should be able to get some information from the Hammersmith & Fulham Archives and Local History Centre Opening hours Monday: 9.30am - 4.30pm Tuesday: 9.30am - 7.45pm Wednesday: Closed Thursday: 9.30am - 4.30pm Friday: Closed Saturday: 9.30am - 4.30pm (second and fourth Saturday in the month, except Bank Holiday weekends, so you won't be able to contact them today) Office: 020 8741 5159 Fax: 020 8741 4882 Email address: archives 'at' lbhf.gov.uk Address: Ground Floor The Lilla Huset 191 Talgarth Road Hammersmith W6 8BJ

They way you say mother and child left together it sounds as if they were not Catholic. As already noted there were by this date some embryonic adoption societies up and running. They grew considerably in the next few years. There were also the big childrens societies (Barnados etc). If you trawl through all the notes about adoptions on this board you may find something to help. You appear to know both so little and so much it is going to be uphill I think. Clive

Thanks Clive - sorry, Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London was a 'Lying-in Hospital' and catered for mothers of previously good character expecting their first child out of wedlock. I was hoping to go to London to do some research at LMA, but wondered if there was perhaps a specific children's home that children went to after Queen Charlottes. I have birth records and know mother left hospital with son - but I also know he was given up by natural mother at some stage but don't know when this was. I thought the child may be in some school/nursery records at the LMA. I was trying to narrow down my search. thanks

Lindy Is there a particular reason why you think the child was sent to an institution rather than staying with the mother? If you know the child didn't stay with their mother ..... Could the child have been placed with family or friends to be brought up but the mother maintained contact so the family/friends thought of the child as some sort of family relation/lodger? Another scenario is that the mother, or her family, made arrangements for a private adoption? Formal adoption was not recorded until the mid 1920s. Chris

A little bit like asking how long is a piece of string. Where is the hospital? What was Mum's religion? Do you have reason to believe Mum did not retain the child? By 1916 there were hostels specifically to keep mother and child together (incredibly I believe these hostels were government sponsored!). Clive

If a child was born illegitimate in Queen Charlotte's Hospital (lots of them were) in 1916 was there a route the children went after that? Does anyone know whether they went to a particular nursery/children's home or school? Hoping someone might know something. kind regards