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Shenley Fields

Shenley fields Childrens home (woodcock lane birmingham)

HEllo my names trevor tomkinson and i was in Shenley fields from about 1965 until 1974 i stayed in the trees home first mrs bowes then i was placed in ryedale under mr and mrs stephenson anybody there around that time feel free to contact me

[email protected]

regards
treva2


Hi Trevor,
I were in number 12 Maryland with Mr and Mrs Ruhorn.
 
Hi I was in shenly from 1946 to1951 I lived with Mrs parry and her dog Peggy I had good and bad times they were brutal on times and loving other times
 
Does anyone remember Mrs parry house 9 I think she had a dog called Peggy who was blind then she took over roundlea road had good and bad days
 
I've just recently discovered that my grandfather and possibly his brother were in shenley fields cottages homes at kings norton I believe from 1939.
Albert David little
Ernest f little
it has been very difficult to research these relatives so if anyone has any tips on finding more info that would be great
TIA
 
Thanks everybody for all your useful information. I think my mother went to Shenley Fields in 1936 - 1940 when she was evacuated to South Wales. I have spoken to Jill and she is sending me a copy of her book. My mother's maiden name is Dorothy Jean Williams. She was born at 77 Dudley Road, which I know is an institution address - hospital/workhouse. Her mother was Dorothy Miriam Williams.
Diane :)
My grandfather and maybe his brother were in shenley fields from 1939 onwards
Albert d little
Ernest f little.
 
Missy74

Certainly your grandfather was there at the date of the 1939 Register and the person listed after him, possibly his brother, is blocked out and does not appear in searching. Your grandfather's date of birth is given as 5 December 1925. If that is his brother and he is no longer alive and you can prove his death, you could apply to have that unblocked. As to the whereabouts of the Shenley Fields records and their public accessibility, I don't know, but perhaps another member does.

Maurice
 
Missy74

Certainly your grandfather was there at the date of the 1939 Register and the person listed after him, possibly his brother, is blocked out and does not appear in searching. Your grandfather's date of birth is given as 5 December 1925. If that is his brother and he is no longer alive and you can prove his death, you could apply to have that unblocked. As to the whereabouts of the Shenley Fields records and their public accessibility, I don't know, but perhaps another member does.

Maurice
Hi, thank you for your response..it seems to be a pretty fractured family at that point. I think their mother died during the birth of her third son and the father maybe put the boys into care as I have a record of them all living at one address in 1930 but in 1935 there is only the father listed there and my g/father as you know is listed at shenley fields in 1939.
His brother died in 1995 unfortunately It seems that mebbe they were separated at Shelley fields and went on to live much different lives with very little or no contact between them :(
 
Hi. I know that my grandmother worked at Shenley Fields briefly in possibly the 60s or 70s, but I don't know many other details. I don't suppose any one remembers her? Her name was Margaret Cooper, she was Welsh but had lived in Birmingham for most of her life.
 
Hi all myself and two sisters went to shenley fields in 1966 I was there till 1973 .one of the houses i was in was the Trees in would love to talk to anyone who was there at that time. I would also like to hear from anyone who might have been in in the home with my two sisters their names are Jackie and Josephine Thomas. Any information would be great. Thanks.
Hello
Hi Trevor,
I were in number 12 Maryland with Mr and Mrs Ruhorn.
I was at the Trees for a few weeks in 1965 or it might have been 1966. I remember Ma Bowes having a go at me for being snobby and ignorant. I found out years later that I am deaf!!. I was sent to the on site hospital when I had tonsillitus and a raging fever.
 
My dad was in Shenley Fields in the 40's with his brothers and sisters hes name was Brian Hollis he spent 8yrs there and left when was 9yrs old, anyone here remember him or his family Maisie, Leslie, Pauline and Sheila.
i have a record of my grandfather being at shenley fields (rose cottage i think) in 1939...im unsure as to wether his brother (ernest) was also here,
i think they were placed in the home because thier mother died aged 30
my grandfathers name was albert david little
 
my grandfather was in shenley-fields[1915-1928] as jack-preen, when he married in 1940 he found out his real name was john edward newman also his sister floss lived in the homes also she did service work at marston green [ironing] my grandfather never mentioned the homes,he went to a reunion in 1974, they were in the eveing mail. i have 10, photo,s of this at shenley-field cottage homes.
Hi Christy, my dad (Jim/James Edmund Littleford) was placed in Shenley Fields (born 1919) about 1924? for some years. I did attend a reunion with him probably the 1974 you mention. I would love to see any photos - of course because I would like to see early pictures of my dad and his early history - which was rarely spoken about in any depth. If anyone has pictures from those days would love to see them please. I did buy the Jill Plumley and looked at the homes registers in B'ham Library many years ago. My dad died in 2002.
 
Hello Christy

My Mom,Aunt and Uncle were at the homes from 1926 until the mid-thirties.

Sadly they have all passed away now and I cant ask questions but I know my Mom hated it..there seemed to be a lot of cruelty and unkindness.She told me about wearing 'Daily Mail' boots which were too big...'you took a step and left the boot behind !!'' I am looking for a book about the homes but cant find it...any ideas?

Thanks
Hi Jacqueline, my dad (Jim/James Edmund Littleford) was placed in Shenley Fields (born 1919) about 1924? for some years. I did attend a reunion with him probably the 1974 you mention. I would love to see any photos - of course because I would like to see early pictures of my dad and his early history - which was rarely spoken about in any depth. If anyone has pictures from those days would love to see them please. I did buy the Jill Plumley and looked at the homes registers in B'ham Library many years ago. My dad died in 2002.
 
My Dad used to start talking about times in the early 1920's when he was put in Shenley Fields, and had a hard time there. As a youngster I didn't have much interest about it. Now wish I had listened:(
Hi oldMohawk -apologies this is a notes I have used previously , my dad (Jim/James Edmund Littleford) was placed in Shenley Fields (born 1919) about 1924? for some years. I did attend a reunion with him probably the 1974 you mention. I would love to see any photos - of course because I would like to see early pictures of my dad and his early history - which was rarely spoken about in any depth. If anyone has pictures from those days would love to see them please. I did buy the Jill Plumley and looked at the homes registers in B'ham Library many years ago. My dad died in 2002.
 
would any one know what school the boys may of gone to between the years 45 and 53.
In June this year I mentioned about my Dad being put in Shenley Fields aged 10 in 1920 with one of his brothers. and how he occasionally talked about it, and how I got the impression that he had a hard time there. As a teenager I didn't listen that much, and since wished I had.
However, I recently found 4 sheets of paper on which he had written a very detailed description, of the place and the people running it.
One paragraph in his writings mentions one of the many daily chores about large tins of 'Ronuk' polish for the bedroom floors applied with a 'bumper' wrapped in a blanket, but the boys often turned the chore into 'fun' by wrapping blankets round their feet and sliding along the floors. Another paragraph mentions a big coal fired boiler, from which hot water, was carried by the boys for bath nights and how, one night, a boy named Fielding tragically fell into the boiler.
Wonderful to get information written by those experiencing the 'moment in time'. My dad (James Edmund Littleford) would have been there at about the same time as your day, they would certainly have overlapped in years.
 
I think there might only have been one or two. I attended one. Jill Plumleys phone number is listed if you trail back here. She will be a font of knowledge
 
Hi, I’m writing on behalf of my father Tally Jones. He would like to connect with anyone in the Shenley field homes. Rough years that he was in the homes with his brothers Terrance Jones (passed away) David Jones (passed away) and Kevin Jones. Does anyone have any photos/memories here at all?
 
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