63 clarendon road

cosmic-ra · Post by **cosmic-ra** » Thu 27 Sep, 2012 5:02 pm

I have a birth certificate showing 63 Clarendon Road, Leeds as the address given by my mother, when my birth was registered. What I know about her in those times is only sketchy and ambiguous so I wanted to know more. A 1940 Kelly's Directory For Leeds in Leeds Library lists the address as "St. Faith's Association For Moral Welfare (Maternity Home), Superintendent, Miss Bennett." In 1947, the address was listed as "Leeds Hostel for Girls, Miss A Hague, Matron." Ripon House website confirms a change of use in 1946. An earlier post in this string says that the 1921 phone book showed the address as St. Faith's. In 1946, building at 63 Clarendon Road became a "Hostel for Girls." There may be detailed information in "Leeds Archives" but the documents are packed and sealed ready for removal to a new site at Morley Leeds, which opens in November. See my updated posting later in this string

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Thu 27 Sep, 2012 8:14 pm

Welcome to the site cosmic ra.

cosmic-ra · Post by **cosmic-ra** » Fri 28 Sep, 2012 12:02 pm

Thanks and Cheers Tilley.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sat 29 Sep, 2012 8:25 pm

cosmic-ra wrote: Thanks and Cheers Tilley. I have actually always had a similar query cosmic-ra - I was born at 22 Vernon Road (now demolished) which was presumably a maternity home although this seems somwhat odd as the street appears to have been fairly modest terrace houses, and Hyde Terrace Maternity Home was so near

chemimike · Post by **chemimike** » Sat 29 Sep, 2012 11:47 pm

BlakeyI am not suggesting you were born in 1916, but the 1916 Kellys shows 22 Vernon road as being:Miss Kate Sykes, surgical home and nursing institution

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sun 30 Sep, 2012 10:04 am

chemimike wrote: BlakeyI am not suggesting you were born in 1916, but the 1916 Kellys shows 22 Vernon road as being:Miss Kate Sykes, surgical home and nursing institution Many thanks for that chemimike - it eases my mind a good bit as the early days of my family are shrouded in many mysteries which were never explained to me when my older relatives were around. Funny you should mention 1916, because had it not been for WW1 I might quite easily have been born that year or soon afterwards, but Dad was taken off to The Somme with the Leeds Pals and, in the strange event, I was not born till 1936 so there we are.

cosmic-ra · Post by **cosmic-ra** » Fri 05 Oct, 2012 8:31 pm

Edited 10 Oct. 2012. (See also my earlier posting in this string). I have discovered something which might help those whose early connections, like mine, include mysteries around St. Faiths Home for Womens' Moral Welfare at 63 Clarendon Road. There is some archive material held by Yorkshire Archaeological Society at, of all places, 23 Clarendon Road (same road). There is car parking in the grounds (as parking would otherwise be difficult to find around there). Look it up on the Google for more details.This page refers to the actual archive:http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/ ... O26520They have admissions registers for some years for St. Faith's at 63 Clarendon Road, minutes of meetings, and annual reports. The Archive reference is MD414. These records are far enough back to be outside the Data Protection Act or any similar rule. The archivist, Miss Kirsty McHugh was very helpful. Appointment necessary so that the archive register can be retrieved ready for you. Admissions are referenced alphabetically in the Home's register and the book shows admissions in date order. Names, dates of admission, and leaving, address at admission and leaving. I did not find my mother in the book unfortunately, though I searched the relevant period. Of particular note is that it shows the reason in each case for the woman to be in need of moral welfare. Looking through those reasons showed that this place was indeed not for jilted genteel girls. I know of someone who worked at a similar sort of place and it seems that there were occasions when their Home and another Home would allow their respective opposite addresses to be used, and swap letters across, so that the girls could not be found by anyone who may have an interest in them. Was that so at St. Faiths? Maybe because a further query of various annual reports, on 10 Oct. 2012, shows that Saint Faith's held the property at 18 Moorland Road, Leeds from 1928 to 1966, THOUGH IT IS MISSING FROM DIRECTORIES. Was this deliberate anonymity? For anyone looking even further back, there was a property at Brunswick Place, before 1928. I have enquired of Diocese of Ripon and Leeds if they have personal records for 18 Moorland Road. They said someone will ring me back but have not done so yet.

Steve Jones · Post by **Steve Jones** » Sat 06 Oct, 2012 11:41 am

The West Yorkshire Archaeology Headquarters are at 23 Clarendon Road.They have extensive archivesof stuff and are well worth checking out.There archives include a lot of stuff from early antiquarian interests as well e.g. thy have some folklore books bought when first founded.

cosmic-ra · Post by **cosmic-ra** » Wed 10 Oct, 2012 7:35 pm

I have edited my 5 Oct. 2012 post, particularly in respect of 18 Moorland Road, which I have discovered was run almost below directory radar, by Saint Faith's, from 1928 to 1966.

cosmic-ra · Post by **cosmic-ra** » Tue 06 Nov, 2012 1:07 am

Further to my earlier posts: The Office of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds did reply to my request for perusal of any archive material relating to Saint Faith's. In fact they have none. Apparently there was no real tie between the Diocese and Saint Faith's other than those resulting from history and location (i.e. St. Faith's origins through St. George's Church.)