If anyone has an ancestor who might have ended up in a children's home of some description, the website below is an excellent starting point to explore further. It has been created by Peter Higginbotham, the same chap responsible for the Workhouse website, and can be searched in the same way. Code: http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/ Drat! Just noticed that @Sis posted about this back in December 2015. That'll learn me!
I contacted the Flintshire Record Office yesterday to see if they had any records for St. Clare's Orphanage, School & children's home , Pentasaph, Wales, the archivist replied to my enquiry this morning with a list of records that could be worthwhile searching but they have to be viewed at the record office, not online I then found a thread on Rootschat which said to contact the Sisters of Mercy directly at Preston, (the Convent etc. is now closed down), 2 people on RC had written but never received a reply, not very encouraging, As I cannot travel I wondered if anyone ever visited this record office & would do a search for me sometime.
Flintshire Archives? At the moment I can't get there during their opening hours - I don't have a car during the week, unfortunately, and they're shut at weekends. I do need to go again sometime but it wouldn't be straight away.
I could pay their researcher but there may be quite a few documents to check & then I'm not sure which home the children were in, I'm in a bit of a quandry as what best to do at the moment or should I just leave it lying for now.....
It's actually only half an hour from me, but a difficult place to get to without a car (different when I was living in North Wales; it was on the bus route from Rhyl to Chester then). If you can wait until summer I could go then, Dogs, all being well - I have other things to look up, so am due a visit. Depends how quickly you need the info. You could of course request a quote and decide on the strength of that?
I know it's £25 per hour but from what they seem to have, file wise, it could take some time to look through, perhaps if you keep me in mind when you are going to the Archive I can tell you which files & the names of the children etc, then you can tell me if it's too big an ask, I am very grateful for your offer
Will be in touch in due course. Have already briefed OH that he's spending an afternoon of his summer leave at the archives.
