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Josiah Mason's Orphanage

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
  • Start date Start date
Hi

Hi Sonic
The best place to start is Birmingham Archives and Heritage at Central Library. Sadly, they are in upheaval at the moment as they are packing up to move to the new library in September. They have the remaining records (which I believe is one register) and will be able to tell you if your Nan is recorded in it. It's a long shot though as there aren't many records surviving.
Best of luck to you
Gudrun
www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk
 
hannah1941 said:
Do you remember Muriel Bramley, Barbara Westlake?? I remember Madeline Emslie her bed was next to mine, also we had to wear two pairs of knickers, a navy pair and a white pair called linings and they were only change once a week agh!!!!!!! Do you remember Jeremy Brannan in Miss Brats he was my cousin Cheers Rowan
Click to expand...

Jeremy Brannan was my best mate when we were in Mr Hall's group. (we were 3-legged race experts) This would have been around 1955/56 or so. Is it the same one? Is he still with us?
 
Hi Wendy! Thank you. What fantastic photos! Do you know who took them? / Who has the copyright? etc. Thanks for sharing
 
If you read the first post on the link I explained there. There are many more I need to scan glad you like them.
 
Thanks! I was too excited to read it all properly! I'll grab a cup of tea, sit down and look at it all thoroughly now. Gudrun
 
Hi, this is my first time on here my mother Dorothy may goodman and her sister Joyce evelyn goodman went to sir josiah masons orphange in 1932 (aged 9) and i believe stayed untill she was 15 i would be interested in anybody who can remember either of them or why they were there. Sadly my mom passed away in 1984 and i believe her sister joyce was taken from the orphanage in 1933 by whom it is not known. I have done alot of research but would really like to know more as i am trying to make a scrap book for my grandchildren.
 
hi clowie and welcome to the forum...could it be that your moms parents died giving the reason for her being placed in the orphange..just a thought

lyn
 
Your mothers parents George Goodman/Elizabeth Dean.
I have not found a death of Elizabeth Goodman at a young age but a George Goodman died Birmingham N. June quarter 1932 age 35.
Perhaps Elizabeth could not cope and it was her only option to place the children in Josiah Masons, a large number of the children were not orphans but had lost one parent.
If you wish to take your tree further back you could get the marriage certificate from Birmingham and with details from it we can help you to
trace your ancestors.
The marriage is registered Kings norton ,June quarter 1922.

there is a member on Ancestry who started her family tree a while ago but appears to have abandoned it.
The entry is a bit scrappy but she has a Arthur J Goodman who married a Josephine Lambert , they also had a daughter Dorothy.
She mentions as part of this family a George Goodman/Elizabeth Dean.
there is a family in Brunswick Road Sparkbrook in 1911 James Goodman a Bookseller and his wife Florence (nee Mowbray) who have George age 13,Florence 12 and Arthur J age 9.
 
Last edited:
Astoness said:
hi clowie and welcome to the forum...could it be that your moms parents died giving the reason for her being placed in the orphange..just a thought

lyn
Click to expand...
Hi, I was told that her parents died, my mother never spoke of any living relatives so i guess that's the reason. I am interested in trying to find out what happened to Joyce her sister and anybody who can remember my mother as i believe she attended reunions for quite a while after leaving. Thank you for quick response and warm welcome.
 
Alberta said:
Your mothers parents George Goodman/Elizabeth Dean.
I have not found a death of Elizabeth Goodman at a young age but a George Goodman died Birmingham N. June quarter 1932 age 35.
Perhaps Elizabeth could not cope and it was her only option to place the children in Josiah Masons, a large number of the children were not orphans but had lost one parent.
If you wish to take your tree further back you could get the marriage certificate from Birmingham and with details from it we can help you to
trace your ancestors.
The marriage is registered Kings norton ,June quarter 1922.

there is a member on Ancestry who started her family tree a while ago but appears to have abandoned it.
The entry is a bit scrappy but she has a Arthur J Goodman who married a Josephine Lambert , they also had a daughter Dorothy.
She mentions as part of this family a George Goodman/Elizabeth Dean.
there is a family in Brunswick Road Sparkbrook in 1911 James Goodman a Bookseller and his wife Florence (nee Mowbray) who have George age 13,Florence 12 and Arthur J age 9.
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you so much for quick response,its probably my tree you can see i started it and got really confused because my mother told me that she had another sister that died at the age of 5 she said her name was Doreen Odette but when i did my research i found that Doreen Odette Goodman had a different mother than my mothers mother, Her mothers maiden name was Lambert and my mothers mothers maiden name was Dean. I found a marriage for Arthur J Goodman to Lambert so i persume That Doreen was not my mothers sister as she thought, but her Father's brothers (Arthur) daughter. I am confusing myself now. :) What i do know for sure because i did send off for marriage cert is that my mothers parents were Married in 12th april 1922, George Goodman (his father James Edward Goodman) and Elizabeth dean (her father William James Dean)They lived at 44 Ombersley road Balsall Heath. I need to amend the tree that i started :) But i too could not find a death for my grandmother Elizabeth dean nor could i find any trace of Joyce Evelyn goodman i sent off for her birth cert she was born 4th feb 1926 but have not found a death. Joyce was taken from the orphanage by a person unknown to me at the age of abt 7, is there anywhere i can find records of this?
 
Hi Wendy. I am writing a book about the orphanage and these are the first photos I have seen of the demolition. Do you think your friend might given me permission to reproduce on of the photos in the book? I would, of course, given them full credit/acknowledgement. Here's hoping!
 
Thank you so much - it is only a little book of memories but I think that seeing the demolition would mean a lot to people.
 
Hi Peter, I am putting a book together about memories of Mason's Orphanage - I want to include the perspective of the boarders, and not just make it about Josiah Mason himself. In that light, I would very much like to include your description of your time at the orphanage. Would that be ok with you?I very much look forward to hearing from you. Gudrun www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk
 
Re: Sir Josiah Masons

anita troth said:
Dear Wendy,
I was not told that it was being closed down, l was told that l would not be going back there. I was young and maybe they thought that l wouldn't understand who knows. I wasn't upset about leaving except l missed my friends, and every one l knew. I had no personal effects, no letters or photos, not even my teddy that looked after me while l was there at night. Things could of been done allot better, so we were not given the chance to say good bye to anyone. So maybe the others were in the same boat ( not literally speaking) and couldn't say goodbye either.
Many things from my past still come to haunt me even today if only we could go back in time but we cant. However time heals but doesn't make it right, everyone has said so many kind words, so thanks.
:) Remember that l was a Brummie, and a street urchin, isn't it great!:P
Click to expand...
Hi Anita, I am putting a book together about memories of Mason's Orphanage - I want to include the perspective of the boarders, and not just make it about Josiah Mason himself. In that light, I would very much like to include your description of your time at the orphanage. Would that be ok with you? I very much look forward to hearing from you. Gudrun www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk
 
Re: Sir Josiah Masons

Wendy, a sad sight indeed I remember the toll of those bells only too well! I also recall one naughty boy who went up into the bell tower and threatened to stay there .........he did eventually come down but only after many threats from the staff and headmaster :)
 
masons orphanage tower.jpg
A view from orphanage tower 1899 courtesy Sir Benjamin Stone Collection
 

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What fantastic photo's, thanks Berniew for posting them. What a magnificent building it was! Very sad it has been lost forever.
 
When I was at school there it was just a gloomy old building to me but as I got older I thought it was beautiful. Alberta

I was a day pupil until 1953.
 
Been reading this thread over the last couple of days and very interesting it was too, with both sad and happy memories. And some nice photos as well,

My great grandfather's brother was listed as being an inmate of the orphanage in the 1901 census. Which I did find strange because though his dad had died, his brother (my great grandfather) and 2 sisters were still living with their mother and new husband. And he was neither the eldest nor the youngest. But it seems that this wasn't uncommon.
 
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