1870s Leeds Orphanages/Baby Farms?

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TenDaysaLoiner
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Post by TenDaysaLoiner »

My great grandfather told the story he was abandoned at or shortly after birth at a Leeds orphanage, later sent out to a baby farm then fostered/adopted.The name he had (unfortunately also my surname as he's my father's father's father!) was pulled out fo a hat by him, when he grew up.He claimed not to know his 'real' name, although hinted he was visited by his birth mother once a year.Before he took the surname he was known by he used his adoptive family's name.His wife wasn't told the full story for years and apparently when she found out, rushed to a solicitor's to clarify if she was even married at all, as she had wed him, using the 'assumed' name.Yet when we sent for his marriage cert he had given a name for his father, and an occupation and the name was in fact the name he told everyone was fake. We have not been able to pin him down at all - there may or may not be a man in Leeds around the right time with the same name as my great grandad's 'father'. We have no birth certificate though and can't find anyone born in Leeds (where he claimed to be born) with the right name at the right time.He married from Bath House, in Holbeck where I think he was a lodger. He married into an established Holbeck family.Coming from nothing, he ended up living quite a lavish lifestyle and at one point was approached and asked to be a prospective Tory MP for Leeds, even. But he appears to have been a conman (no change there for the tories, eh?) He had a printing firm/stationers', which we know at one point was near Leeds market; at another point Park Square. He had a house on Roman Ave, near Roundhay Park (Shadwell I think), not long before he died in the 1930s.Any chance of me finding orphanages and their records? I know the name of the family who adopted him and we can probably pin them down in the 1881 census in Leeds. He said he took the new name aged 19, and we find him going up in the world at that point as he went from being a mechanic to having his own firm.Only one of his 5 sons was ever told the true identity of his mother, a lady from Ireland. We have been told it but can't trace anyone of that name in England or Ireland.I think the only way to go about it is to find all the Leeds orphanages - pref starting in or near Holbeck, and work our way out.But how to start? I'm not too far away - in North Yorks - but don;t get to Leeds often, and having some idea of where to start looking would be great. So just where would you dump a baby in the 1870s? He rememebered (or pretended to remember) an orphanage at first, later a baby farm. Later, adoption.Although we're sceptical, his adoptive sister was a friend of the family in living memory - my dad knew 'Auntie Florrie' well, so that part of the story does not appear to be made up. And yet when he claimed he made up his surname aged 19, how come when we got his marriage cert he named a father with the same name he had post 19?Where to start?

BLAKEY
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Post by BLAKEY »

I have every sympathy with you in this mystery. Although my circumstances are nothing like as obscure as that I have never really known "what's what" about my ancestors. I have no living relations now so I shall never find out the full story. The problem was that both sides of the family, one far more than the other, spent their whole lives "hiding something" and making up elaborate smokescreens to cover their tracks.                                                As I was born rather late in my parents' lives I grew up too late to get the gist of it all - if indeed I ever could have done due to the complex "plot of the play" which some of the "actors" couldn't successfully remember all the time and used to "forget their lines" occasionally and then put up an immediate "block."How awful to go through life looking over your shoulder all the time and counting to ten before saying anything.Best of luck with your researches.    
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

TenDaysaLoiner wrote: My great grandfather told the story he was abandoned at or shortly after birth at a Leeds orphanage, later sent out to a baby farm then fostered/adopted.The name he had (unfortunately also my surname as he's my father's father's father!) was pulled out fo a hat by him, when he grew up.He claimed not to know his 'real' name, although hinted he was visited by his birth mother once a year.Before he took the surname he was known by he used his adoptive family's name.His wife wasn't told the full story for years and apparently when she found out, rushed to a solicitor's to clarify if she was even married at all, as she had wed him, using the 'assumed' name.Yet when we sent for his marriage cert he had given a name for his father, and an occupation and the name was in fact the name he told everyone was fake. We have not been able to pin him down at all - there may or may not be a man in Leeds around the right time with the same name as my great grandad's 'father'. We have no birth certificate though and can't find anyone born in Leeds (where he claimed to be born) with the right name at the right time.He married from Bath House, in Holbeck where I think he was a lodger. He married into an established Holbeck family.Coming from nothing, he ended up living quite a lavish lifestyle and at one point was approached and asked to be a prospective Tory MP for Leeds, even. But he appears to have been a conman (no change there for the tories, eh?) He had a printing firm/stationers', which we know at one point was near Leeds market; at another point Park Square. He had a house on Roman Ave, near Roundhay Park (Shadwell I think), not long before he died in the 1930s.Any chance of me finding orphanages and their records? I know the name of the family who adopted him and we can probably pin them down in the 1881 census in Leeds. He said he took the new name aged 19, and we find him going up in the world at that point as he went from being a mechanic to having his own firm.Only one of his 5 sons was ever told the true identity of his mother, a lady from Ireland. We have been told it but can't trace anyone of that name in England or Ireland.I think the only way to go about it is to find all the Leeds orphanages - pref starting in or near Holbeck, and work our way out.But how to start? I'm not too far away - in North Yorks - but don;t get to Leeds often, and having some idea of where to start looking would be great. So just where would you dump a baby in the 1870s? He rememebered (or pretended to remember) an orphanage at first, later a baby farm. Later, adoption.Although we're sceptical, his adoptive sister was a friend of the family in living memory - my dad knew 'Auntie Florrie' well, so that part of the story does not appear to be made up. And yet when he claimed he made up his surname aged 19, how come when we got his marriage cert he named a father with the same name he had post 19?Where to start? Hello TenDaysaLoinerCan you give uis a chronolgical order,year and event etc,broken down so we can see when and what names were used.Also can you supply the name of the father on the birth certificate?As for orphanages im afraid i have no idea where to start,perhaps contacting the local studies room at Leeds Central Library may be worth a try.
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chameleon
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Post by chameleon »

It's been suggested to me that West Yorkshire Archives might be a good place to look for Orphanage records if that helps - does that jog any memories from you cnosni?

TenDaysaLoiner
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Post by TenDaysaLoiner »

I'll search out the marriage cert and get back to you with what we know. TBH I even doubt he is the age he claimed to be as he was supposed to be same age as his wife - born around 1870 - but in fact looked 20 years older in the photo I've seen!

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

TenDaysaLoiner wrote: I'll search out the marriage cert and get back to you with what we know. TBH I even doubt he is the age he claimed to be as he was supposed to be same age as his wife - born around 1870 - but in fact looked 20 years older in the photo I've seen! One word springs to mind here,that is BIGAMIST.Ive found when doing family history,is that those with the murkiest tales have something to hide,which is either something to do with money or bigamy.give me and Si the details and well hav a look.
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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

TenDaysaLoiner wrote: I'll search out the marriage cert and get back to you with what we know. TBH I even doubt he is the age he claimed to be as he was supposed to be same age as his wife - born around 1870 - but in fact looked 20 years older in the photo I've seen! Can you scan the photo and stick it on here?
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

TenDaysaLoiner
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Post by TenDaysaLoiner »

Nah, cnosni, one of my relatives had ... he died and I aren't sure who has it now. Will ask around, though.

wiggy
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Post by wiggy »

i was initially from holbeck and we lived at the back of what everyone called either the workhouse or the foundling home....anyone got any pics of what i am sure was a horrid place??
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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

wiggy wrote: i was initially from holbeck and we lived at the back of what everyone called either the workhouse or the foundling home....anyone got any pics of what i am sure was a horrid place?? No pics Wiggy,but my uncle Jack cleaned the windows as a kid
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

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