- Area: soc.genealogy.uk+ireland ----------------------------------------
  Msg#: 316                                      Date: 07-31-95  16:09
  From: John@vetchfield.win-uk.net (John E Wynn) Read: Yes    Replied: No
    To: All                                      Mark:
  Subj: BARNARDOS - TRACING YOUR ANCESTOR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have noticed several posts from people trying to research ancestors who
were brought up in one of the many homes provided by the Dr Barnardo
charity.  The following is a very brief summary of Barnardos (The Dr bit
was dropped several years ago) which I hope will help those seeking such
ancestors. 

Thomas Barnardo started the Charity which bears his name when he opened the
first of many children's homes in 1867.  Between 1867 - 1981 (when the last
home closed) over 350,000 children were cared for by this organisation.
Many of the children were not orphans as is popularly believed, but children
(often from large families) whose parents were simply no longer able or
willing to look after them.

Barnardos kept extensive records of every single child who passed through
their homes, but this was done in great secrecy, and the individual child
was rarely told about their own family background.  The philosophy seemed to
be that the physical well-being of the child far outweighed any emotional
problem of not having information about one's family.

Between 1882 - 1967 over 30,000 of these children were sent to
Canada or Australia to start a new life, and there must now be many
descendents of these children in those countries

Since Jan this year Barnardos have decided to open their files to those
who are former Barnados children trying to trace still living relatives,
and to descendents of former Barnardos children trying to research their
family history. 

Since opening the files they have been inundated with requests for help,
and the after care department is really struggling to cope.  When I
telephoned them earlier today (31 Jul) I was told that the waiting time
for any one request was now about 12 months !  They assured me that all
requests would be answered eventually.   If you are prepared to be
patient it will be worth the wait; as each child was extensively
documented throughout their stay with Barnardos.

The address is:

Barnardos
After Care Dept
Tanners Lane
ILFORD
IG6 1QG

--
John Wynn
Peterborough, Cambridgshire

- Area: Email -----------------------------------------------------------
  Msg#: 185             Pvt Rec'd                Date: 08-03-95  23:22
  From: afn09444@freenet.ufl.edu (Todd L Sherman)Read: Yes    Replied: No
    To: John@vetchfield.win-uk.net (John E Wynn) Mark:
  Subj: BARNARDOS Homes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From afn09444@freenet.ufl.edu Fri Aug  4 03:22:46 1995
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 23:22:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Todd L. Sherman" 
To: john@vetchfield.win-uk.net
cc: "Todd L. Sherman" 
Subject: BARNARDOS Homes

> I have noticed several posts from people trying to research ancestors
> who were brought up in one of the many homes provided by the Dr Barnardo
> charity.  The following is a very brief summary of Barnardos (The Dr bit
> was dropped several years ago) which I hope will help those seeking such
> ancestors.

> Thomas Barnardo started the Charity which bears his name when he opened
> the first of many children's homes in 1867.  Between 1867 - 1981 (when
> the last home closed) over 350,000 children were cared for by this
> organisation.  Many of the children were not orphans as is popularly
> believed, but children (often from large families) whose parents were
> simply no longer able or willing to look after them.

[...]

Hmm.  What are one's chances of finding about one's ancestors in such an
unorthodox way as looking up Barnardos' records on an actual Barnardos
home founder in the area of Hackensack, NJ? ...a Jdg. James BRATT, m. to
Anne "Annie" SMITH, actually.  Mr. BRATT's wife was the sister to my
direct ancestor, Lydia Smallwood SMITH (m. to a Robert TOLMIE).  Mr.
BRATT and Annie paid the way for Robert and Lydia to emmigrate to the
U.S. aboard the `S.S. [Lucania]' about Nov/Dec. 1897.  I don't know much
about my SMITHs and thought getting in touch with some BRATT/SMITH
descendants might prove helpful...IF I COULD FIND THEM.

I've never tried this before.  Actually, up until VERY recently have I
started even getting confirmation of the actual name of the homes, and
finding out that they did indeed exist.

My first confirmation was in stumbling across an old 1974 letter to my
grandmother, Muriel E. GREGORY, from an employee in the NJ Civil Service
Association, "Office of The President," Louise R. Brizzi, 125 Essex St.,
Hackensack, NJ, which stated in part:

      "December 5, 1974

      Many thanks for your communication on December 3.  Your
    letter was most interesting and had pleasant and nostalgic
    memories for me, too.

      I remember the Bratt family very well.  In fact, I worked
    very closely with Bert Bratt in the Probation Office when I
    was a caseworker with the New Jersey Division of Youth and
    Family Services.  When I am called upon to speak about the
    Children's Home by the various organizations in the county, I
    always speak of the Bratt family having first established the
    Home, which is now the Edna B. Conklin Child Welfare Home of
    Bergen County.

    [...]

    Louise R. Brizzi"

There was TWICE someone had used the word "founded"...my grandmother,
and then Louise Brizzi in her letter.  To be cautious, I took the
meaning to be as in "came to America and started ANOTHER" and not
as in "started the first ever Homes."  (Glad I did that.)

My grandmother had written on the back of a picture of three SMITH
sisters (there were five altogether) -- of Anne, Maggie, and my own 
Lydia Smallwood SMITH -- a mentioning of the fact that Anne was the 
wife of Judge James BRATT, that they had had an incredible *19* children, 
and that they had founded the "Dr. Barnardos Homes in the area."

So...what *are* my chances that the England offices might have
some info on Mr. Bratt? his family? or any info that could help me
with his "children?"  (Some of them were probably - a guess - I
*hope* [for the sake of poor Anne] ;-)  - adopted.)

Can you give me any addresses to write over there? or over here?
Names of some people?  If you're a Barnardos worker, would James sound 
familiar to you?

Thanks.

Todd L. Sherman, A.R.S. KB4MHH |  POLITICALLY CORRECT:
P.O. Box 4211                  |  "Genealogist" -- An ancestrally-
Gainesville, FL 32613-4211     |  challenged individual.
Internet:  afn09444@afn.org  -OR-  todd.sherman@santafe.cc.fl.us


- Area: alt.scottish.clans -----------------------------------------------
  Msg#: 79                                       Date: 11-29-95  09:43
  From: Cengel@cix.compulink.co.uk (Chris Engel) Read: Yes    Replied: No
    To: All                                      Mark:
  Subj: Re: Dr. Bernardo's Home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.scottish.clans
Path:
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From: cengel@cix.compulink.co.uk ("Chris Engel")
Subject: Re: Dr. Bernardo's Home
Message-ID: 
Organization: ScotGold Products             
References: 
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 09:43:33 GMT
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Forwarded via cengel@compulink.co.uk from thistle@ddi.digital.net

I am unable to post to the newsgroup due to some improvements that my 
husband made to our computer.  I could not determine who the original
poster was for this query, would you please forward it to the appropriate
person?  :-)

This info is from "In Search of Your Canadian Roots", by Angus Baxter.

The National Archives of Canada has microfilm of records, but they are 
restricted due to privacy concerns.  Information is available from:
Dr. Barnardo's Home's, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, England
LG6 1QG.

There are photgraphs of the children taken before they were sent to
Canada included in the files.

Thanks

Lisa Crawford McRoberts  thistle@ddi.digital.net