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Josiah Mason's Orphanage

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
  • Start date Start date
How wonderful Alex. May you have many more lovely get togethers.

Life in an orphanage can make for lots of misunderstandings in later life,
but as we age, we realise that life is too short to not put things right.

Good luck and dont forget "Do Deeds of Love"
 
Alex thank you for sharing your story with us. I am glad you found your brother. I think as we get older the things in life we cherish change a lot!
 
Alex.
My avater is me in my Masons uniform.

(I couldn't remember the Latin version either!!)
 
Josiah_Mason_Childrens_Cemetery_001.jpg
Josiah_Mason_Childrens_Cemetery.jpg
Josiah_Mason_dormitory.jpg
Here are some pictures from Brian Jones book 'Josiah Mason 1795-1881 Birmingham's Benevolent Benefactor. Produced by Brewin Books ISBN 1-85858-042-0. Perhaps a nice Christmas present!
 
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Hi Rowan and Wendy, Glad to be of help with the motto, when were you both in the
Orphanage?
 
Hi Valhalla I was never in the Orphanage I just have an historical interest in Josiah Mason.
 
Alex, I was there 1944-1951.

Wendy, thank you for the pictures. I hadn't seen the plaque with the childrens names on before. That could be very useful for people who are tracing anyone who suddenly vanished from census ect.
 
Wendy said:
I believe Josiah Mason built his first orphanage with the best of intentions. His wife was also the person who pushed her man in this direction. His first alms houses and orphanage was built in Station Road Erdington in 1858. This was built to accomodate women and children as he believed that men could look after themselves. Acording to the book Josiah Mason 1795-1881 by Brian Jones. Mason had many arguments with the intersted parties of a group of men including the clergy and ministers, who at one point only wanted children from "the respectable class" not those from the "gutter". I have not finished reading the book but I will say so far the man was Birmingham's benevolent benefactor. We have to remember the time the only other alternative was the work house and they would not have been educated there.
One of the most famous or notorious residents was Horatio Bottomley who was in the orphanage from age 11. He became a journalist of some repute as editor of The Financial Times from 1898-1900. Involved himself, with Mr Vernon a solicitor, in the trial fo Dr Crippen the infamous murderer and influenced the famous advocate Marshall Hall so that he did not defend Crippen. He also created and edited John Bull. From 1906-1912 he was MP for South Hackney and was elected again in 1918. However he was constantly in court. In 1922 he recieved a 7 year prison sentence for his John Bull scheme to attract investment in government bonds, which was exposed as a fraud to divert money to his own use.
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A group of MPs visited the Prison one day, Bottomley was sewing mailbags, on seeing this, one of the MPs remarked " ah sewing I see Bottomley" to which Bottomley replied " no sir, reaping."
 
New member - responding to the whole thread! I'd researched Josiah Mason's Orphanage some time ago and have been fascinated to read the memories, see the photos and share the emotion revealed in this thread. My grandma, Ellen Louisa Hoare/Nell/Nellie worked at the Orphanage and appears on the 1901 Census. I know nothing about her time there, so the windows opened on the life of the school/orphanage have helped me to see into her world. Nellie was the eldest child in a family which still has close ties with Brum. According to my Uncle, who died just a short time ago, she left JMO to work for "a lady in a well-off part of Aston". I'm still trying to find out more. Thank you all for the precious experiences you have been able to share. My gran was a gentle, caring lady in her later years (she died in 1958) and I would like to think she was as loving with the children in her care as she was with me and my family.
MO
 
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MoN said:
New member - responding to the whole thread! I'd researched Josiah Mason's Orphanage some time ago and have been fascinated to read the memories, see the photos and share the emotion revealed in this thread. My grandma, Ellen Louisa Hoare/Nell/Nellie worked at the Orphanage and appears on the 1901 Census. I know nothing about her time there, so the windows opened on the life of the school/orphanage have helped me to see into her world. Nellie was the eldest child in a family which still has close ties with Brum. According to my Uncle, who died just a short time ago, she left JMO to work for "a lady in a well-off part of Aston". I'm still trying to find out more. Thank you all for the precious experiences you have been able to share. My gran was a gentle, caring lady in her later years (she died in 1958) and I would like to think she was as loving with the children in her care as she was with me and my family.
MO
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Hi, my great grandmother was an 'inmate' in the 1901 census. I'm pleased to think that someone kind, like your grandmother, might have looked after her and her brother during their time there.
Sarah
 
i remember the orphanage very well with the long entrance hall full of stuffed animals and the chapel and long sunday walks i well remember miss spratt miss furness mr twemblow(spelt wrong) mr shillittoe to name just a few of the staff. i went back after it had closed down but it wasnt the same ,still and very quite.
loretta.
 
Thanks for that, Loretta! It's all useful background info for me as I have never lived in the area and only found out a couple of years ago that my Gran was there. I'll add it to my notes!
Mo.
 
Sorry, Sarah, just read your post! Funny how all these threads link us, isn't it? Those were difficult times with so many social difficulties - from other posts, it seems that the "inmates" were often the ones who supported each other? At least your g-grandmother and her brother were together. My Gran was about 16 at the time and was the oldest of a large family - I was able to tell my 90yr old uncle all about it before he died just recently. He remembered bits - he knew it simply as "Erdington" - but not the details about it and was very interested. Thanks again,
Mo
 
My mothers sisters Lily Bullock and Violet Bullock went to Josiah Masons orphanage about 70 years ago. They were sent there because my grandad Joseph Bullock could not cope with raising 9 children after my grandma died at age of 35. Regards Reg
 
I was there for a short while in the 50's it was quite awful thanks to the senior boys and our house master. I remember being in gym shorts on hands and knees waxing the dorm floors.We had 3 boys dorms when I was there, The Tigers, The Lions and the Tigons. The Principal when I was there was Mr Twemlow. His office was on the right hand side of the long corridor just before the Billiard Room.

Not very fond memories I'm afraid.
 
paulonline said:
was anyone there in 51/52 please try and get in touch would like to chat
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I was there at that time. I think I arrived in 1951 and left at the age of 7 to go to another orphanage in 1954. I have very few memories although reading this thread has been fascinating and has re-awakened pictures from the past. I knew I had seen stuffed animals in glass cases somewhere and was horrified by them but now I know where. The only other child's name I remember is a John Poulton (a naughty boy I think). My other two memories are receiving a tin box of Cadburys chocolates to mark the coronation and sitting at a long table in a sunny room for tea. Oh, and being very worried when I arrived because my mother had been told I could have a teddy bear with me but I didn't have a teddy. I had a panda insted and was mercifully allowed to keep him. My mother has a photograph of me standing outside the big door in my uniform - I must look it out.
 
rowan said:
Picture no 5, The Chapel. The Bust of Sir Josiah can be seen in the foreground. The seats on the right hand side were for visitors and family to join in with the children. (sorry, I don't know how to post all the pictures in one posting)
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I have only just found this site, which is fascinating and I loved your photos. I wonder whether you know what dates they were taken??
 
Re: Sir Josiah Mason's

After reading Brian Jones' book on Josiah Mason, I would say that glorification was not what Josiah Mason was all about. he and his wife, though vastly wealthy, lived a frugal, quiet life. He really did wish to help those children whose parents had passed away - the Masons had no children - although I would question how he selected the children. No illegitimate children, as parents had to be married. I do find that rather odd, but the world then was a very different place.

In 1954, we went to live in Shard End, and the school I should have attended had not been built. The school was therefore sited in the Orphanage. We were picked up in a coach in the morning, dropped off outside and we had to go through a large tunnel under the building (a bit dark, as I remember) to get to the playing fields at the back. I clearly remember the entrance at the back, toilets almost opposite the door and a large staircase. My own classroom was up a flight of iron stairs, and they had black curtains - obviously a remnant of the war. I was only there for about six months, as the new school was quickly built. I left the area in 1956 as we bought a house in South Yardley, but was devastated when I found that the Orphanage had been demolished. Just think how many people that massive building could have housed if it had been turned into flats.
 
Mr Hall was our so called house master,he terrified me. The young boys had to kiss him on the cheek when they left for school and when they returned (Moor End Lane Secondry Modern)via the clock tower.He stank of aftershave, he was really creapy.
 
I can't remember Jeff Lines I'm afraid. The only guys I can remember are Peter Malcolm Finn, I think he was what they called a Bargee and had some connection with Dr Barnardos and the other 2 guys were brothers who escaped from Hungary during the revolution in 1956. Forgive my spelling of their names Tibor & Lazlo Gonye, I think Lazlo was the eldest Does anyone remember these guys?
 
Mike B said:
I can't remember Jeff Lines I'm afraid. The only guys I can remember are Peter Malcolm Finn, I think he was what they called a Bargee and had some connection with Dr Barnardos and the other 2 guys were brothers who escaped from Hungary during the revolution in 1956. Forgive my spelling of their names Tibor & Lazlo Gonye, I think Lazlo was the eldest Does anyone remember these guys?
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Yes, I too remember the Hungarians. When were you there?
 
I'm not sure of the exact dates, around 1957 wouldn't be far of it. I was there for less than a year.
 
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