• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

St Francis Convent, Nursery Road.

G

gemmafelton

Guest
I'm not sure if this should go here or churches but it seems to fit better here for my purposes. Please forgive me I'm very new and this is my 1st post.

My great grandmother always told us that she was taken from her mother by the Catholic church and bought up in St Francis convent where they all slept in dorms and had to do duties to god often cleaning the convent.

She was probably about 5 ish i have deducted due to the level of her memories, she was there with her 2 older sisters. They were born in 1910 1912 and 1914 so I'm looking for any information from about 1920 ish. From there she was sent into service and went to London as a maid.

I've spoken to social services and Birmingham records office and apparently they have nothing and I need to speak to the Catholic Archon at Cathedral House, I have their number but they aren't open until tomorrow at 11.

I was just hoping that somebody might have some information that might help me build a bit of a picture before I speak to them. I have read other threads and can only find reference to a St Francis church rather than than a convent.

Can anyone help me?
 
Hello and welcome Gemma St Francis Convent has been brought up on this site Before,so if you go into search at the top of the page and have a look
Failing that put St Francis Convent into google the have there own website incidentally i used to go to St Marys school wich is part of St Francis church best of luck:(Mossy
 
I know there is St. Francis Church (corner of Hunters Road and Wretham Road) and also St. Francis School (corner of Hunters Road and Nursery Road). I believe convent was on the opposite side of Hunters Road to the church further down and opposite the sweetshop that was on the corner of Naden Road/Hunters Road.

My husband went to St. Francis school and was taught by nuns. From what he has told me they were very strict.
 
I must be really stupid, I'm sorry Mossy, I've tried to do that and I'm still confused and can't really find it. I certainly cant find a website for St Francis convent, the only one is a St Mary's of mercy convent that seems to be the same place but certainly no mention of children residing there or where the records may be. I've done a search on this site and again theres mention that the convent was there and maps etc but not really enough information to enable me to go any further.

I just have this huge aching feeling that I'm missing something really obvious. :(

Thanks ever so much for all your help though. I really appreciate you taking the time to help. xx
 
Gemma i think that they are the same place have you made any enquiries at St Marys:)Mau-rise
 
Not yet...It looks (and sounds) scary. lol. I'll give them a ring tommorow along with the Archon. I'll post to let everyone know how I get on. I just hope that there is some mention of my "poor" relations in their records. Thanks again. :)
 
There is nothing to be scared of Gemma best of luck with your research:)Mossy
 
gemmafelton said:
Not yet...It looks (and sounds) scary. lol. I'll give them a ring tommorow along with the Archon. I'll post to let everyone know how I get on. I just hope that there is some mention of my "poor" relations in their records. Thanks again. :)
Click to expand...

St Francis Convent went from Hunters Road to Brougham St &^ there used to be a private school in the convent & I Think iy was called St Mary[s conven tschool. The same as the the infants & girls school next to it which was St Mary's(where I attended until 1945);.& is now known a St Francis Infants., so I am wondreing if there was a St Francis orphanage elswhere in B.Ham.

Jean
 
I'm much further forward now. It is the same place. Apparently the convent is called St mary's sisters of mercy but it belongs to St Francis church. :D It likely according to the very nice (and not at all scary) people I spoke to today that my "poor" relatives were in the part known as the house of mercy for children and mothers that have fallen on hard times. I wont know for sure if they have any records that pertain to me untill Monday because their archavist is away at the moment but it certainly sounds promising. Thankyou everyone for your help. Does anyone know anything about the "house of mercy"?
 
Gemma that sounds promising,it is as i first thought the same place because our school was firstly called St Francis and was then called St Marys and i dont know the reason why perhaps when you go there you could ask for me:)Mossy
 
Thanks ever so much Eric but I'm afraid my Feltons aren't Birmingham based, my Birmingham lot are the Smiths (the ones this thread is regarding although there are others) Such a great name to research!!!.

I certainly shall ask them for you Mossy, it seems very strange, I take it the name of the church didn't change though because there was still the 2, a St. Francis and a St. Mary's? Is that right?

I find Catholicism quite a scary religion all together really but that is just because I know nothing about it and the bits I do know I don't understand.
 
Hi Gemma you are quite right the church as always been called St Francis

I am a practising catholic but would not think of pushing my religion on to anybody,so long as you believe that there is a God:)Mossy
 
Mossy said:
Gemma that sounds promising,it is as i first thought the same place because our school was firstly called St Francis and was then called St Marys and i dont know the reason why perhaps when you go there you could ask for me:)Mossy
Click to expand...
Mossy. I think you will find that the school was first called St Mary.s I was there from 1936 to 1945 . still have my leaving certificate , it was mixed infants until 11 yrs the girls went upstairs , the boys then went to Wills St. ,when were you there?

Jean.
 
Hello Jean i was at St Marys from 1958 till 1962 the school closed in 1962 and we all went to a new school called Blesssed John Wall which was a mixed school:)Mossy
 
You might be able to help me with another quandary though Mossy, rumor has it that these 3 very young girls were taken from their mother by the church after a local priest was visiting the catholic homes in the area and decided they were suffering from neglect. Apparently this is likely to be "moral neglect" which we have all assumed meant not bringing them up practicing catholics. Sometimes rumor is just that and upon further delving it might not be true but does this sound "usual" for the 1920's. We have been led to believe that the children's father died in the 1st world war and the mother couldn't cope. Also the children at the time would have been living in Whittington between Lichfield and Tamworth in Staffordshire. Any idea why they would be taken to Birmingham? I just have tiny pieces of information that I'm not too sure ring true to me. Cheers. Gem.
 
hi gemma. i dont know if you have already done this but if you google st marys convent hunters road then click on where it says bbc B ham faith there is a lot of info and also 360 degree images of the inside of the convent. hope this helps a little. wales.:)
 
st francis school was st marys then in brougham st i attended from 1935_1945 mary nee deloyde
 
miss webb, sister gerard, and tom oloughlin. i am looking for pupils evacuated from st marys brougham st to monmouth during the war 1939 the above named teachers bought us here hope some of you see this i stayed till1945 then went nursing at skin hosp george rd edgbaston looking for nurses,and hospital history can you help thanks mary de loyde
 
Tom Oloughlin was headmaster when i was at St Marys in the late 50s his side kick was Mr Posi


Mossy:)
 
ragdoll said:
miss webb, sister gerard, and tom oloughlin. i am looking for pupils evacuated from st marys brougham st to monmouth during the war 1939 the above named teachers bought us here hope some of you see this i stayed till 1945 then went nursing at skin hosp george rd edgbaston looking for nurses,and hospital history can you help thanks mary de loyde
Click to expand...
Tom Oloughlin was headmaster of St Mary's Snr boys school in Wills St
My friends The Parks sisters Mary Maggie & Jean.went to Monmouth. We were evacuated in 41 to Cutnall Green nr Droitwich. I am still in touch with the family. other teachers it the infants ,Miss Tarpy & Miss McCue
girls. Mrs Saunders & Miss Downey..
Jean.
 
any one know the rc convent at sparkhill? was it a shool or childrens home i need to trace an older sister eva mathews who was either there or sparkbrook any info greatly accepted mary de-loyde
 
skin hospital george rd edgbaston nurses hodnet jones smith nunn get in touch mary de-loyde 1946
 
i did know the parks girls they were friends a lovely family lived yards from me in drybridge st i would love news of them mary
 
ragdoll said:
i did know the parks girls they were friends a lovely family lived yards from me in drybridge st i would love news of them mary
Click to expand...
The Park s girls that I knew. lived in lennox St . I lived quite close to them in Farm St, Maggie got killed when she was 11 in by a bus while riding her bike. Mary was about 3 yrs older I was born in 1931 nearer to Maggies age.
Jean.
 
i am still looking for st marys kids evacuated to monmouth with miss webb come on now where are you now ? mary de=loyde
 
Mary can your remember any names? perhaps together we can sort somethig out. I remember classmates names but don't know if they were evacuated to Mnmouth.

Jean
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top