I recently discovered my Great Grandmother had three brothers all sent to Nova Scotia in 1904 from Middlemore Home- I finally tracked them through shipping records and the following site:
https://www.bifhsgo.ca/cstm_homeChildren.php
Yesterday I went to Birmingham central library to view the original Middlemore Home records- it was both exciting and sad to discover more about the lives of these small boys. If you have a ancestor who was placed in a Middlemore Home, the trip to Birmingham Library is certainly worth it. It is advisable to phone beforehand. The staff I encountered there were very straight faced and serious, but were wonderfully helpful
They have:
Application records- (which includes who is presenting the child/ addresses/ personal circumstances/ age- sometimes other family members/ income/ description of child) :my ancestors were placed in the home after their father had deserted the family 7 years previously, and their mother became ill and couldn't support her family.
Entry records- a brief summary of the application after they've been accepted into the home.
Settlement Records- Where your ancestors were placed- name/ address/ religion/ occupation of family/ person they were placed with and yearly inspection reports (on housing/ behaviour etc. My ancestor was "a very nice boy, but very untruthful"!!
The best part about the story for me is discovering that these boys, despite their difficult childhoods, went on to have wonderful families, and I've now made contact with one of their grandaughters, who I am able to share all my family history with. :smug: