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Marle Hall - 1921 Census

norge0209

proper brummie kid
I am new to this website, so I hope I’m putting this in the correct place. I recently learned that my great grandmother, Jane Sims-Hurley, was in the Marle Hall convalescent home in Wales in the 1921 Census. She was born on 31 Jul 1898 in Birmingham and lived in Birmingham until she arrived in the United States on 26 Aug 1922 - except for in the 1921 Census. It states she is married - she married my great grandfather Herbert Henry Hurley in Dec 1920 - and a patient, but I have no idea what she was doing there! (I have been unable to find my great grandfather in the 1921 Census.) She would have been pregnant with her first child at that time, but she gave birth in Birmingham. In doing some research, it appears that Marle Hall always had some association with Birmingham, England. Can anyone explain to me why those two places were so closely connected, even though they’re about 2.5 hours apart? (I know the Birmingham Council rented the place at one time.) Any help is appreciated. There is no one left alive who would be able to explain this to me. Thank you.

Jill
 
hi jill and welcome...its only a guess but it could be that jane had a difficult birth and went to marle hall for rest and recovery..do you have a date of birth for your grandad so that we can try to find him on the 21 also do you have the address of where they were living in birmingham when the baby was born...any info you have may help
i take it that you know marle hall is still there..looks a lovely building

lyn
 
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It is a lovely building. It became an outdoor education centre and I stayed there on numerous occasions. Supervising pupils from the school I taught at.
Lovely countryside around and would, as a convalescent home, have provided fresh air in contrast to Birmingham
 
I think it was for female factory workers only - presumably, the subscriptions came from their wages. Quite possibly convalescents would have been at the hall because of severe chest complaints, recovering from flu etc.
 
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It is a lovely building. It became an outdoor education centre and I stayed there on numerous occasions. Supervising pupils from the school I taught at.
Lovely countryside around and would, as a convalescent home, have provided fresh air in contrast to Birmingham
i agree jan...just looked at the surroundings on street view..bit of info here

 
hi jill and welcome...its only a guess but it could be that jane had a difficult birth and went to marle hall for rest and recovery..do you have a date of birth for your grandad so that we can try to find him on the 21 also do you have the address of where they were living in birmingham when the baby was born...any info you have may help
i take it that you know marle hall is still there..looks a lovely building

lyn
Baby Winifred birth reg 1st qtr 1922.
 
There is a thread…

 
hi jill and welcome...its only a guess but it could be that jane had a difficult birth and went to marle hall for rest and recovery..do you have a date of birth for your grandad so that we can try to find him on the 21 also do you have the address of where they were living in birmingham when the baby was born...any info you have may help
i take it that you know marle hall is still there..looks a lovely building

lyn
My great grandmother had not yet given birth when she was at Marle Hall. My great grandfather was born 22 Nov 1893 (although some records give 1895) in Worcester. In 1920, he was living at 4 Court 8 MacDonald Street in Deritend, Birmingham. Before emigrating to the U.S., Herbert and Jane (and their daughter Winifred Ivy Hurley b 9 Dec 1921) were living at 15 Court 12 House High Street in Balsall Heath. Herbert’s mother and some of his siblings are living in Birmingham in the 1921 Census - I can’t see the exact address - Fanny E, Norah V, Sidney R, and Kate A Hurley - but Herbert is not with them.
 
I wondered if Herbert went on ahead to the US before the 1921 Census. Why did they emigrate ? Herbert's job/business, health reasons or better opportunities ? Do ship's records show Herbert travelling alone ? Did Jane and Winifred travel alone to the US in 1922 to join Herbert already there ? Ship's records/Passenger Lists often show occupations and addresses, does that tell you anything more ?

Jane was using a double-barreled/hyphenated name, so were Jane and/or Herbert from well-heeled families ?

Just a thought.

Having said all that, the 1920s were a difficult time in both the US and the UK, it being post-WW1 and the subsequent weak economies. So I wondered if there was a very specific reason for them emigrating at that time.
 
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I too wondered if he went in 1921 to sort things out so to speak.
He was definitely back as their trip in 1922 is on Ancestry - Jane (down as Jennie) Herbert and baby Winifred. Address in Balsall Heath.
Will post when I put laptop on.
 
My great grandmother had not yet given birth when she was at Marle Hall. My great grandfather was born 22 Nov 1893 (although some records give 1895) in Worcester. In 1920, he was living at 4 Court 8 MacDonald Street in Deritend, Birmingham. Before emigrating to the U.S., Herbert and Jane (and their daughter Winifred Ivy Hurley b 9 Dec 1921) were living at 15 Court 12 House Highenen Street in Balsall Heath. Herbert’s mother and some of his siblings are living in Birmingham in the 1921 Census - I can’t see the exact address - Fanny E, Norah V, Sidney R, and Kate A Hurley - but Herbert is not with them.
if i have the correct one this is the baptism (which you have most likely got ) for herbert henry it says born 22nd nov 1895 parents fanny and herbert

62085_302022005560_6135-00135.jpg
 
hi jill...ive had a look and like yourself i cant seem to find herbert on the 21

lyn
I truly have no clue what was going on! Since I can’t look for myself, I haven’t been able to check all of his family members out. It’s a very odd situation, since I never heard anything about her being in Wales. It’s so frustrating when you can’t find someone in a census! Thank you so much for your help. Any more info on why Birmingham seems to have such a deep connection to Marle Hall?

Jill
 
I have a feeling he may have lied about the year of his birth to serve in the navy. 22 Nov matches but it says 1893 not 1895.View attachment 198021
Yes, I have that record, as well. Some say 1893 but most others 1895. I think you may be correct. That would make a lot of sense. Once he was in the USA, he always used 1895.
I have a feeling he may have lied about the year of his birth to serve in the navy. 22 Nov matches but it says 1893 not 1895.View attachment 198021
 
I wondered if Herbert went on ahead to the US before the 1921 Census. Why did they emigrate ? Herbert's job/business, health reasons or better opportunities ? Do ship's records show Herbert travelling alone ? Did Jane and Winifred travel alone to the US in 1922 to join Herbert already there ? Ship's records/Passenger Lists often show occupations and addresses, does that tell you anything more ?

Jane was using a double-barreled/hyphenated name, so were Jane and/or Herbert from well-heeled families ?

Just a thought.

Having said all that, the 1920s were a difficult time in both the US and the UK, it being post-WW1 and the subsequent weak economies. So I wondered if there was a very specific reason for them emigrating at that time.
There was a family rumor once that he defected from the Navy, but I proved that to be untrue many years ago. There may be another reason why they went at that time, but I’m not sure what it was. They were the only ones in their families to go to the USA.
 
I wondered if Herbert went on ahead to the US before the 1921 Census. Why did they emigrate ? Herbert's job/business, health reasons or better opportunities ? Do ship's records show Herbert travelling alone ? Did Jane and Winifred travel alone to the US in 1922 to join Herbert already there ? Ship's records/Passenger Lists often show occupations and addresses, does that tell you anything more ?

Jane was using a double-barreled/hyphenated name, so were Jane and/or Herbert from well-heeled families ?

Just a thought.

Having said all that, the 1920s were a difficult time in both the US and the UK, it being post-WW1 and the subsequent weak economies. So I wondered if there was a very specific reason for them emigrating at that time.
Oh, Jane only used one surname. I wrote her name as Sims-Hurley to show both her maiden and married names, but she went from Jane Sims to Jane Hurley. I’d have to double check, but I’m pretty sure all three of them traveled to the U.S. together.
 
I truly have no clue what was going on! Since I can’t look for myself, I haven’t been able to check all of his family members out. It’s a very odd situation, since I never heard anything about her being in Wales. It’s so frustrating when you can’t find someone in a census! Thank you so much for your help. Any more info on why Birmingham seems to have such a deep connection to Marle Hall?

Jill

The connection would be the Birmingham Saturday Hospital Fund. People, and in this case women, who paid into the Fund in Birmingham and needed to convalesce after illness would be able to stay in the fresher air of Wales to recover.
 
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