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Dr. Berlyn in 1900's Birmingham

C

cookecutter

proper brummie kid
When my great-grandmother applied to have her 11-year-old twin boys admitted to Middlemore Home in 1912, the information she gave made reference to "Dr. and Mrs. Berlyn", if I am reading the handwriting correctly. The application stated that these people knew "the whole story" and had assisted in Jane's case, recommending that she place the boys at Middlemore. A few years later, when Jane wrote to the Middlemore officials in a desperate attempt to get her boys back, she again made mention of Mrs. Berlyn who had apparently told Jane she could have the boys back if her situation improved. Jane had not been married when she gave birth to the twins in 1901 in Birmingham, but her widowed mother helped raise them while Jane served as a cook at an estate in Yorkshire. I have been trying to trace the twins' unnamed father by following every possible lead. Any information relating to the name "Berlyn" in Birmingham area during this time would be appreciated.
 
hello cookecutter and and welcome to the forum...could you give us a little more information about jane please..what was her full name and do you know where in birmingham she lived...do you have a copy of the twins birth cert although if the father was unamed i would think it more or less impossible to find out who he was...

all the best

lyn
 
In 1901 Dr.John Aaron Berlyn,a Surgeon, was living in Calthorpe Road Edgbaston with his wife Emily and a son Ronald

in 1911 still in Calthorpe Road

John Aaron Berlyn age 40, General medical practitioner
Emily Charlotte age 46 wife
Ronald Cory age 12
Maurice lewis 9
Martin John 8
Ruth Madeline 6
Alfred Ernest 5
Arthur Claud 3

John Berlyn was the son of Moses Berlyn who was a schoolmaster and Secretary of the Synagogue in Birmingham

The eldest Berlyn son Ronald Cory enlisted in the Royal Flying corps and became an 'Flying Ace' he died in 1983 when he enlisted he was living at 65 Wheeleys Road, Edgbastonand was a chemist he died in 1983.

martin john worked as a schoolmaster in Canada from 1935 but died in Southanmpton 1984
 
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From Kellys directory 1912;

Berlyn, John A. if:B., B.S.Lond., L.R.C.P.Lond., M.R.C.S.Eng'..
Surgeon &' medical officer to the General Institution for
the Blind, 5 Calthorpe rd. Edgbaston. T N 523 Midland
Berlyn, Moses sec. Jews' burial ground, New lane, Witton
& sec. Jews' Synagogue, Blucher st. T N 884 Central
 
Hello Astoness:

Sorry for the omission--it was late last night when I posted. My great-grandmother was Jane Davies, eldest daughter of William and Jane (Reese) Davies of Grove Park, Budbrooke. Sometime after the birth of her sons, Edward and Albert Davies, Jane dropped the "e" from their surname, which became "Davis" on all subsequent records. My cousin here in Canada has a copy of Edward's birth certificate, but no one seems to recall seeing one for Albert. I have recently connected with a very distant cousin in England who has kindly ordered one for my grandfather, Albert.

I have posted related inquiries under a few different headings, so I will clarify by explaining that Jane's application to Middlemore also stated that she had been receiving payments for the boys' care from their father off and on in accordance with the legal agreement drawn up by a firm of solicitors. The father had gotten married and was no longer sending support. The boys had been raised for part of their childhood, at least, by Jane's widowed mother and younger sister, Helen, a school teacher, who lived at Five Ways, Haseley, according to the 1911 Census. With their grandmother becoming more feeble and deciding to move in with her married son, Albert and Edward had no place to go. Jane could not keep them with her at her place of service in Yorkshire, so she applied for them to be placed at Middlemore Home on the advice of Dr. and Mrs. Berlyn.

I am amazed at how each of these tiny puzzle pieces helps to create a more complete picture. I appreciate each person who takes time to respond.

cookecutter
 
Cookecutter, Five Ways Haseley, I presume would be the Hagley Road which Five Ways is on. This would then come under Edgbaston, Birmingham.
 
Caroline - it is not Hagley. On the 1911 census the street was called 5 ways and it was Haseley Beausale in Warwickshire. A couple of houses are listed as Five Ways, Haseley.
In fact there is still a Five Ways Road in Haseley today.

Janice
 
Hi Janice:

I stand corrected, once again. A lot of the handwriting on census forms has very different letter formation than I am used to, and when it comes to tracing more distant ancestors in Wales, the place names are all "Greek" to me. That's why forums such as this are so helpful--they give "outsiders" the "inside scoop". Incidentally, when my research connected me with a third-cousin in England, he surprised me with a photo he took of the house in Five Ways, Haseley as it stands today. I had sent him an old shot of my great-great-grandmother, Jane (Reese) Davies with her daughter, Helen, and her twin grandsons, Albert and Edward, standing in front of that exact house. What a surprise that it is still standing, but with a "face-lift", of sorts.

cookecutter
 
I can see why Caroline thought you meant Five Ways, Hagley Road as that is a well known junction in Birmingham and this site is Birmingham. The problem you face is that Jane came from a village in Warwickshire but the boys were born where she worked in Birmingham so your search crosses the boundaries. It would seem that when her Mother could no longer look after the boys they returned to the city of their birth for placement in the Middlemore Homes. I did not realise until I looked that these homes were specifically for emigration to the new world.
https://www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk/middlemore_emigration_homes.html

Janice
 
Hi Janice:

It has only been in the past decade or so that much has come to light about the British Home Children, thanks to some courageous and dedicated people. Approximately 11% of Canadians today are descended from Home Children, although many of the child emigrants were sent to Australia, New Zealand and other colonies. A few years ago, both the Australian Prime Minister and the British Prime Minister issued public apologies to the Home Children and their families for the untold suffering and hardship that was imposed on vulnerable children. The Canadian government has never apologized for their part in the scheme but instead, has chosen to "accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative" by erecting monuments and issuing a commemorative stamp in honor of the contribution Home Children have made in our society. For those of us who are descendants of Home Children, it is our goal to bring hope and healing as we learn more about their heritage and share their stories.

cookecutter
 
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