i was in portsmouth cottage homes for a good while whilst i was a youngster, have just read the book forgotten, very upsetting, i dont remember dates of times i was in care i was in the nursery, so would be late 50 s as i was born 55, then i was in again, in the mid sixties, i would love to put dates to this, but really have a jumbles up head for these dates, my dad and big sister both died, my mum, was the reason i was in the homes, so i wont ask her, i would like to sort this out,

I was in this care home from 1941 to 1944

trying to find information on my father john stewart who was in ponteland cottage homes does anybody remember him ?

My Great Aunt Jane Doris Smith (b:1897) was taken from her family in 1905 and placed in the Princess Mary Village Home Addlestone Surrey, and was discharged in 1913 aged 16. According to Surrey Archives she would have went in to local employment (no records of this) however she wouldn't have been obligated to stay in it. The Surrey Archives also informed me that there was a holiday home provided by the school as accommodation for the girls who had no where to go when on leave. I can't seem to find the name of this home or any information on it. It also appears from other records and information that Jane Doris Smith never returned home to her family's care. Hoping to find more details on Jane Doris Smith or any of her descendants. Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
Karen

i am Pat Little, I was in Hornchurch Milton cottage home from 1956 to 1959.
Does anyone remember me? I have 3 brothers Paul, Peter and Tommy Reid.
The house master was Mr Jack & Jill Papworth, then Mr & Mrs Cousins.

I am on here to find others who knew me at that time and maybe we can share what happened to us.
I was on friends reunited some years ago but have not found anyone on there.
Get in touch if you know me.
Pat

Pat Little here, resided in Milton Cottage from 1953 to 1959.
Anyone who knows me or my brothers Peter and Paul , get in touch.

I am searching for Mary (TESSA) Johnson born 1945 and was in Shenley Fields Childrens Home in the 1950's. Mary (TESSA) went to Tinkers farm and cotteridge schools. Please done anyone have any idea what happenend to her. Her family are searching.

In reply to post 71, the answer is Penkhull infant's, Hatshill junior's and Penkhull senior's.

JAMES LIONEL WESTON.I forgot to put the homes dad was in from 1943/44.They were union cottage homes in Wednesfield Wolverhampton.thankyou.

My farther namedJAMES LIONEL WESTON past away in 2006.We had talked about putting a family tree together but never got round to it.Will be so hard now.He was here aged aprox 9 due to moms death.Father was JAMES PRICE.He is long gone.I would love to hear from anyone who remembers my dad,JAMES WESTON.He was born in 1935 he had a cousin named Joan now deseased and an older sister named Sheila now deseased.we think he was there from 1943/1944??we have no idea when he was there until?Dad was born in newcross hospital and lived his life until retirement in and around willenhall.He had quite dark memories of the cottage homes.he was eventualy fosterd,as the adoptive family who were to take him in declined last minute when they found out his natural father was still alive.thankyou for reading.

Hello I am helping a friend trace his family history. We have been fairly successful in tracing his history since the age of about 15 but his early years (1952-1959 approx) were spent in a home in Birmingham. He believes this may have been Sunnyside or Suncrest or something similar. I think these homes were part of the Shenley Fields Group. Does anyone know if any records about admissions discharges case files etc still exist for these homes from the 1950's?
Regards
Alan Howe

REPLY FROM CHILDRENSCOTTAGEHOMES.ORG.UK

Hi Alan
Suncrest was the name of Home 2 of Shenley Cottage Homes. There are some records (admission and discharge registers) for these homes - held in Birmingham Archives and Heritage at Central Library. If you go to the Shenley Fields page of this website
(http://www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk/shenley.html), there is a link to a leaflet at the bottom of the page which will guide your friend into trying to find any information about himself from these records.
Sunnyside, was the name for Home 1 of Erdington Cottage Homes. Like Shenley, there are some admissions and discharge records held by Birmingham Archives and Heritage. Again, the page on Erdington Cottage Homes on this site, has a link to a leaflet which will give you all the details. (http://www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk/erdington.html),
Any problems, please drop me a line gudrun@childrenscottagehomes.org.uk

Gudrun Limbrick
www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk

i wrote about me and my sister in fullwood cottage home i forgot to put the year it was 1944 from albert sykes

i was in f.c.h when i was 7years old due to my mum dying iwas in with my sister miriam what year i dont know anybody can tell me thank you

my dad was in penkhull homes in the 1920 s long gone now bless him he never talked much about the times in there his name was george william birkin does anyone know him

Hello again
Regarding Penkhull Homes - which schools (middle & high school) would the children have attended in the late 40' & early to mid 50's and are the records accessible?
Thanks

This web site is great!

My dad (who sadly passed away 4 yrs ago) was in Penkhull Home 13 after his mom passed away. He was there from the age of 5 to when he finished high school. I have a photo of him & another gent in front of the house probably taken in the mid 50's. I also have one of him with about 80+ others in the dining room. I believe I have one of him and others in the kitchen peeling potatoes. He said he peeled so many potatoes that he could peel them without breaking - one long strand of potatoe skin. The house mother was Mrs. Wade. She attended my parents wedding. Have that photo as well. He told me of the good times & the bad. I've connected with a second cousin on my grandmother's side and finally have a photo of her and his brother. Too bad my dad didn't get to see what she looked.

my father-in-law, Reggie Chritchlow, was placed in the Countesthope Cottage Homes, in Leicestershire, on 30 August 1913 along with some of his siblings. He passed away aged 50 in 1956. We would love to know if anyone who was there at that time remembers Reggie. One of his siblings placed there with him was Florrie, I'm not sure if Gladys and Ivy were placed with him. He had 10 siblings in all, but as yet, there is one whose name I cannot find.

Hi, I was in wednesfield cottage homes from 1951 till 1967, although i was fostered out for a couple of years during that time. If you remember me or just want to chat about your time there get in touch, you can find me on facebook. I know there were bad times but there were also some good times.

i was in home 3 from 1947 to 1952. the house mother was miss hall.and miss roberts.

ponteland cottage homes, does anyone remember my mother margaret hetherington?she was in house 8 from 1935-1944.

I was in Cockett Cottage homes was there for about a year. I remember that i was the only one left there for the Christmas it was very sad time in my life.. i think the year was 72 or 73.. looking for photo's or info on the people that were there at the same time as me...

Regards
Debz <3 xx

I was in the Shenley fields cottage homes, i cant remember which one i was in I was 4yrs old(1970) and remained there till i was 7yrs old, (I only have bad memories of the people who ran my home) they were nasty and very very unkind) made to sleep on the landing for talking, and if you spoke after that you were put to stand in the matrons bedroon all night. I was then moved to South Acres childrens home in Halesowen where i stayed untill i was 16yrs old. The first people who ran it were horrable also, but then another couple too over who were nice and kind, but the damage of not trusting people had been set, thanks to the other bad people who ran the other ones :(

I was in cottage homes in ferzakerly at about 1953/1957. I don't know which house I was in, but I do remember riding a little three wheeled trike up and down the pavement. the house I was in was about half way down the drive on the right as you look from the gates. I was always by myself, I don't know why. But I know that when I was taken from there I went to strawberry field childrens home. I don't know if anyone will remember me or not.

My 2 brothers & 2 sisters were in The Erdington Cottage Homes in the 50's & 60's in house number 11 Trelawn. I remember quite a bit of our times there and although they were strict, it taught you well and prepared you for later life. They were never cruel to us and at least we could all stay together. My mother had been taken very ill and was in hospital for a long long time (she died not long after we left the homes) and my father was 'adsent'. They considered fostering us out but no one was prepared to foster 5 children and my mother did not want us split up. I have been back to look at the Homes a few times and it brings back many memories. I would love to hear from anyone who was with us at the time

Hi Briana
Please send me an email and let me know what your husband and his brother have tried in terms of looking for records from BRIDGEND Cottage Homes and I'll see if I can help.
gudrun@childrenscottagehomes.org.uk
or end a message through the 'getting involved' section of this site.
Many thanks

hi my husband and brother were in bridgend cottage homes in the early 70,s we have tried for months to find records of their stay there and following there fostered by the house parents, but NO records of them anywhere, any ideas please?

i lived at erdington cottage homes from 1954 to 1963. i was in cottage 5 braemar and would love to hear from any of the boys who lived there at the same time as i did.The house parents were Mr and Mrs Lisle.
I have many vivid memories of my time there,and sadly did not know that Gudrun Jane Limbrick was writing a book all about erdington cottage homes,i would dearly loved to have made a contribution to the book.
I have now read the book and it has brought so many memories back to me.
Many thanks for the book.

myself and brothers lived in merryland shenley fields approx 1963. my name is susan phillips my brothers hubert and roy. our house parents were mr /mrs saddler who had 2 children robert and evyonne . things are really sketchy, but i remember some good times, i remember a girl called marion kinoshy and my first boy frind, who gave me a record of percy faith lol. love to hear from anyone who was there at the time. oh i went to our lady of saint rose of lima. our house parents were friends with frank ifield

Hi, i would be interested to hear from any one who was in the Penkhull childrens homes S. O. T., between 1943 and 1951, especialy Peter Mahley, who was in the nursery with me. good memories remain of those days.

Hi - I'm reading the book by Les Cummings, "Forgotten." I'm SO ANGRY! How could ADULTS treat children like this? What a disgrace to think that "foster" "parents" treated children in this manner and top of it - the supposed "head" of the household doing the most despicable things to this child. SHAME ON THEM! SHAME!

I trust that nothing so repulsive EVER happened to any other children who walked through the doors of a Children's Cottage Home.

Thank you.

I spent three very happy years in the Erdington cottage homes in the early fifties
in Orchardside

Continued: for a teenager, but they looked after you. If you were there after the war, things changed, some say for the worst, an ex resident Les Cummings wrote a book about his life at the Cosham Cottage Homes, called “Forgotten”, it’s worth reading. Hope you get to find your roots.Dave

Evelyn, I do not know if you still live in the Pompey area, you can hopefully find the dates you were at the Homes on the Hill by contacting the Portsmouth City Museum, you will find the website on the Index of Cottage Homes. Unfortunately all the records of the Homes were stored in the Portsmouth Guildhall, and that was bombed about 1941 – 42, so if you were there before then it may be difficult to trace the Creed Register, I was lucky I was there in 1954 and they were able to tell me when and why I was there and who was with me – Give it a try. You may find some memory joggers in the book that Gudrun is working on about the Cosham Cottage Homes. It sounds as though you were there before the 50s, as you said it was better than your parent’s house, it was tough even f

Continued::: (I paid a visit to the home last year and it brought back so many memories)
On my first day at the home there was a Nancy Slater who was leaving to join the army. I also remember a Joe McDonald and Doreen Gibson but do not remember which house either were in. Before going there I remember going in Highfield nursery. I believe it was when my mother died but I remember it well. I was about 4/5 years old then. I attended the Coates School. I also remember the open air swimming pool somewhere near where we were taken and also a trip to Coller Coates ( think that is how it is spelt)
I remember quite a lot and would be pleased to hear from anyone there between 39/40s remembering.

My brother Ronald, sister Gladys and myself were in Ponteland cottage homes but in different cottages. My house mother was Miss Marr. I believe it was no.8. I was in 6 and 8 as we were there for some time until 1942. In my sister's house there was a Miss Abbey (gwen). Although in separated homes we were able to meet and play together in the large field which was surrounded by the homes and each house would have a bell rung when it was time for their charges to go in for tea.
The person in charge of the homes was a Mr Harrison or Harris and he married a miss Catherine Carr. Punishments were very harsh there and I often ran away. I even remember my first day there .

i was in portsmouth cottage homes, cant remember my ages, was in the nursery there, then went to number 10 probably when i was about 6/7 was therre for 4 yrs that time, then back again when i was older 13/ish wish i could find dates, remember lots, they were actually goodf times, mostly, until i had to go home ha ha, spose if the homes are better than youre parents house youre gonna like it, loved living on the big hill. would be so nice to get some memories put to yrs and people i knew then,

found this realy interesting as my late mother vera tudor lived in marston cottage homes from the age of about 2 or 3 till she left to go in service.even when she had dementure she could remember things from the home as if it was yesterday! i always said she should have wrote a book!it seemed to be a harsh regime but her memories seemed to be mainly happy ones

hi my name is garth coates in was in melplash cottage and my sister donna was in maryland in shenleys cottage in the 70s
this is the place i got my scar from which is above my eyebrow when i came off a swing and smashed my head off a brick that was sticking out of the floor i think the house keepers was peggy and john but not 100% sure
my keyworker was valarie
there was a kid called gary and there was a girl who was the oldest one there at the time when i was there was called donna she was about 13 at this time
i had my own room that was off one of the bedroom there was 3 children in the room i was off i was about 9/10/11 back then im now 47 years old
donna my sister is younger than me

hi,does anyone else remember living in Beecholme,Banstead about 1958/59. Both myself and my 2 brothers were there for a while.I was living in Laburnum cottage and the 'house mother' was Welsh.It would be great to hear your comments and memories.My surname at the time was Brown.

Just wondering if anyone was at the Princess Mary Village Home in Addlestone, Surrey from 1942 until 1946. My Mother Sylvia Virginia Dixon (now deceased) was placed in there from aged 10 in 1942.

Hoping to hear if anyone knows of her. My email address is janegeer95@googlemail.com.

Hi my name is Alan Baillie I was in Erdington cottage, home 13, with Mrs Hinchcliffe from 1953 - 59. I am 68. I would love to catch up with anybody and would be great to see photos in any of the Erdington homes.

Could LINDA PERKINS who is looking for information about her grandfather Albert LYNN who was at COCKETT Swansea Cottage Homes please get in touch as we think we have some information which may be of use. Thank you. gudrun@childrenscottagehomes.org.uk

Regarding the sculcoates union cottage holmes/hessle cottage holmes.
Ive been trying for years to find out some more information about them and the people that staffed these holmes.
Me and my sister were two of the last children to leave there in th early 80s just before they closed them down.
I have really fond memories of staying there, of the other children and the staff that looked after us all .
My best memory was of my one and only christmas there, all the beds next to each other and waking up on christmas morning to a sackfull of presents, the staff made sure everyone had the best christmas ever, i wish i could find out some more information on these holmes. Just to thank the people who worked there and looked after all the children including myself.

Was in Home 8 with Miss Sherwood about 1953. My memories are hazy cannot remember names of others only recollection is of a helper who was from germany and a Miss Moody. Was it a happy home?

hi me and my brother peter 1947 to 1958 was in rose and wellington cottage hornchurch
my sister pat 1957 to 1968 was at milton cottage hornchurch
we have got an older brother tommy little or reid last seen by his family early 70s south east london we think more east london
if anyone might no any information on our brother tommy or remember paul peter pat little
it would be great to ear from you
emmapaul2012@hotmail.co.uk

I was in Garth Olwg,Church Village,Pontypridd, 1957 , my name is David John Thomas I am 68 years old this coming November . Does anyone remember me ? or was you there round about this time it was run by a Mr and Mrs Dunn. Would be nice to hear from some of you.

hi i was in goldie in rose cottage from 1969-1972 some good times some bad time but some great people always remember the song we used to sing along to the tune of yellow sub ....we all live in a mouldie goldie leigh. my name back then was bryan shaw

Hi there,I am just responding as I saw post number 23 and do believe I know some of the people mentioned as I lived there around them times of the mentioned people.I lived in the drive-shenley fields drive in the house called Jasmine with my two brothers.I have vague recollections of that time so if you could gather info from person who posted post number 23 would be most grateful.

My sister and i were in Erdington Cottage Homes from approx1957-1960 maybe later, we then went to Handsworth Wood Road and then on to Church Lane.Our house parents were Mom and Dad Beard
Our names were Janet and Wendy Horne our sisters Julie and Sonia came later. Our brothers Michael and Brain were in the boys home at Erdington Cottage Homes which i think was opposite the home we were in ,which was the first home on the right (home 1) as you went through the gates
Was there anyone who was there at the same time as us
Wendy Melvin Allcock

does anyone rember my mum she was in penkhull homes when she was 6 months old and her name was nancy bentley my mum died 6yrs ago and i would love to hear from anybody who new her she meet my dad when she was 16 is name was micheal cookson i would love to hear any stories about her thank you jackie bloor her daugther x