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Highcroft Hall Aston Union Workhouse Erdington House

  • Thread starter Thread starter elizabeth
  • Start date Start date
Sorry for the delay in responding we were away over the weekend. I will certainly follow up this link and next time I come back to Birmingham I'll book a slot at the record centre in the library.
Malcolm
 
I saw a post today on the Ex Highcroft facebook group asking if anyone might have had a photo of Elen (Nellie) Cowan who worked there as a daily domestic 1945 - 1951. She was born in Ireland in 1917 and died in Brum in 1951. It is her granddaughter who has never seen a photo of her grandmother. I have looked on ancestry but the only link is a tree back to Ellen Cowan.
I am at a loss now where else to look. Any ideas welcome or does anyone know if records still survive somewhere from the 1940's?
I worked as a psych nurse in the 80's and 90's so she was way before my time.

Many thanks
 
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/
Shows two births in 1917 for an Ellen Cowan. Her birthday or the place she was born would help to decide if either of these is correct. Might be worth exploring her life in Ireland before she came to England, but I'm afraid finding a photo with a name is often impossible. I'd advise her granddaughter to see if there are other members of the family with photos or looking for her on-line. Was her birth name Ellen Cowan? Kind of you to try to help the granddaughter, but there's a lot of digging to find her grandmother and the chances of a photo are slim, I'm afraid.
 
Many thanks Stokkie
I am in touch with Samantha now on ancestry and have filled her in on what I could and come up with ideas for her to try, such as a newspaper request- slim chance but the Brum Mail might do it. Plus buying the Highcroft book. She did private dna but I have suggested sending the raw dna to My Heritage and or Gedmatch to widen the reach. Her small tree gives her relatives that Barnados gave to her. Widening this might, just might, link to an Irish living relative. She knows it is a long shot. Such a shame that adoption agencies never tried to add photos. She is living now in an apartment at the Highcroft site so that in its way brings her a bit nearer to her mom. If anything more comes to light I will update. Many thanks everyone.
 
Brumbirder said:
Many thanks Stokkie
I am in touch with Samantha now on ancestry and have filled her in on what I could and come up with ideas for her to try, such as a newspaper request- slim chance but the Brum Mail might do it. Plus buying the Highcroft book. She did private dna but I have suggested sending the raw dna to My Heritage and or Gedmatch to widen the reach. Her small tree gives her relatives that Barnados gave to her. Widening this might, just might, link to an Irish living relative. She knows it is a long shot. Such a shame that adoption agencies never tried to add photos. She is living now in an apartment at the Highcroft site so that in its way brings her a bit nearer to her mom. If anything more comes to light I will update. Many thanks everyone.
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Good luck to Samantha! There are groups in Ireland and UK for tracing the mothers of adopted children. But this is never an easy task. One last thought: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and...family-history-a-step-by-step-guide-1.3423973
 
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There is a small tree that appears to list Ellen on Ancestry, born 1917 Co. Down father John.

Is this the tree mentioned above? Depending how much of that is correct then you can find possible parents, siblings and even grandparents on the records.
 
Vivienne14 said:
With regard to Almshouses in Erdington, you might find these people helpful at the Sir Josiah Mason trust. They also cover the Holte Almshouses that were moved to Erdington from Aston (not physically of course !).

www.sjmt.org.uk

Sir Josiah Mason Trust - Almshouse Charity

Sir Josiah Mason Trust - Almshouse Charity
www.sjmt.org.uk www.sjmt.org.uk
A couple of extracts from their site and background to the Holte interest. Viv.

View attachment 152425
View attachment 152426
View attachment 152427
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Almshouses owned by SJMT are now all boarded up after all the residents were moved out and the land put up for sale.
 
mikejee said:
In advert:
"All of the properties will be empty upon completion of the purchase"
So did they get the bailiff's in ? Not much charity there
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thats what i thought mike....have they turfed out the residents just to rent the houses out again...i am unclear on this...and also what has happened to the residents that used to live in them

lyn
 
On their website they say "we do welcome people who self-fund their accommodation" . But if they are selling their properties --? And where is the money going that they get for them.
 
mikejee said:
On their website they say "we do welcome people who self-fund their accommodation" . But if they are selling their properties --? And where is the money going that they get for them.
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does not make sense to me mike..

lyn
 
another so called (charity/associations)who dont want to pay for the up keep of the properties as the maintenance costs have gone sky high,so they are off loading them,booting out the tennents making them homeless and selling the properties.its shocking.:mad:
 
The residents that lived there were given about 9 months to find somewhere else. There were 9 of them all men and last i heard they had all found somewhere to live. None of them wanted to leave and some had been there for over 10 years. The reason that SJMT gave for selling was that the council wouldnt give planning permission for what they wanted to do. The property was taken off the market a few months ago when all the residents had gone and SJMT and the council suddenly decided they might be able to find a solution to the planning permission after all.
 
victor said:
The residents that lived there were given about 9 months to find somewhere else. There were 9 of them all men and last i heard they had all found somewhere to live. None of them wanted to leave and some had been there for over 10 years. The reason that SJMT gave for selling was that the council wouldnt give planning permission for what they wanted to do. The property was taken off the market a few months ago when all the residents had gone and SJMT and the council suddenly decided they might be able to find a solution to the planning permission after all.
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thanks victor...awful to evict those elderly residents...i wonder if a solution is found re planning permission they will be given the chance to come back...shocking

lyn
 
The residents were told they would be given first refusal and this was in writing. Whether they will want to go back under the changed circumstances is another matter, i suspect not.
 
victor said:
The residents were told they would be given first refusal and this was in writing. Whether they will want to go back under the changed circumstances is another matter, i suspect not.
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disgraceful victor...cant keep up rooting people like that...i am afraid i would tell them where to go if offered to come back

lyn
 
Greetings,

I have a 1930 Death Cert for my Great Grandfather (who I have only just found thanks to DNA) and the location of death is given as 18 Union Road and wondered if anyone recognised this as anything other than a residential address. His home address was 2 Back 13 Helena Street.

I ask as my Grandfather (illegitimate son of person found by DNA) is shown on his death cert to have died at 1 Western Road, which I understand was the address for City Hospital, although I can't fathom why City Hospital wasn't named, but that query is not the purpose of this thread.

So I wondered if there was something similar going on with 18 Union Road. I can't find any family link to 18 Union Road around the time of his death, so was just pondering if was just somewhere he happened to die, or if it was an establishment of some kind?

Vague request I know, but I thought I'd as you lot are so good.

Thank you
 
Union Road was as an unnamed Road in Erdington. The death certificate reference is probably to Highcoift Hospital. See this thread link here

Union Road Erdington

Can anyone help.I am tracing the Saddington family for a friend,his father 's birth certificate states that he was born at No 1 Union Road Erdington Municipal U and can't read the other initial.His father is not named so guess he was illigitimate.Would the address be the workhouse? Mother's...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Vivienne14 said:
Union Road was as an unnamed Road in Erdington. The death certificate reference is probably to Highcoift Hospital. See this thread link here

Union Road Erdington

Can anyone help.I am tracing the Saddington family for a friend,his father 's birth certificate states that he was born at No 1 Union Road Erdington Municipal U and can't read the other initial.His father is not named so guess he was illigitimate.Would the address be the workhouse? Mother's...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
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Thank you - that is interesting - I never considered it was that side of town. He lived a lot of his life in Handsworth, so when I Googled it, I settled on Union Road in West Bromwich.
I guess I discounted Union Road in Erdington as being too far away and I guess not on my radar.
But taking a second look at the Death cert, it is registered in Erdington, Birmingham North.
So while I know causes of death were not always accurate, he died from cardio vascular degeneration - would this have been something they 'treated' at the Workhouse, or would it just be place to go to die (kind of thing)?
I do realise my question rather assumes you know the nature of any kind of medical care available then!
Thank you
 
Mrs Bear 51 said:
Thank you - that is interesting - I never considered it was that side of town. He lived a lot of his life in Handsworth, so when I Googled it, I settled on Union Road in West Bromwich.
I guess I discounted Union Road in Erdington as being too far away and I guess not on my radar.
But taking a second look at the Death cert, it is registered in Erdington, Birmingham North.
So while I know causes of death were not always accurate, he died from cardio vascular degeneration - would this have been something they 'treated' at the Workhouse, or would it just be place to go to die (kind of thing)?
I do realise my question rather assumes you know the nature of any kind of medical care available then!
Thank you
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Cardiovascular degeneration is really now a general or generic term for a number of conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. Treatments for these conditions has improved over the years but it is still one of the main causes of death in the UK.

Back in the 1930’s these conditions were well recognised but doctors where quite limited in the available treatment options. Highcroft Hospital did have hospital wards that treated the mentally ill and there were a few geriatric wards too. I recall the nightingale wards with the rows of beds. I suspect your Great Grandfather would have been there for palliative care to help keep him more comfortable
 
The site in 1950, it was enormous ! Some early buildings seem to still be there today, but it looks like there's been substantial new housing development in recent times and many of the older buildings seem to have gone

Screenshot_20231230_221914_Chrome.jpg
Source : British Newspaper Archive

Screenshot_20240101_140230_Maps.jpg
 
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