A query about industrial schools

L

Liam Cappello

New Member
Hey all!
I'm new to this site but believe I'll use it a lot more in the future. Currently I am researching an ancestor of mine, called Edith Elizabeth Neat, who I've found a document of that's stumped me. I believe that her 1911 census states that she was in "The home of the good shepherd industrial school for girls", which was in Leyton (Essex). I can't manage to figure out if it exactly her or what she was doing there.
I'm really intrigued by this and would love if somebody could help me. I'm sorry if this is a waste of time.

P.s. I've attached a snippet of the 1911 census in question
 

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  • Edith Neat 1911 census POSSIBLE clip.jpg
    Edith Neat 1911 census POSSIBLE clip.jpg
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Hello and Welcome Liam C|:-)

Have a read of this article which explains Industrial Schools better than I can:)
Code: 
https://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/LeytonstoneIS/
From the Children's Home Website

Never fear about asking a question, none are silly if you don't know the answer, someone will always try and answer it for you.
 
Thank you all very much for the speedy reply! I'll check out the info you've sent over and can't wait to maybe uncover more documents relating to her life. I don't believe that the industrial school was too nice of a place as it definitely feels quite Victorian in it's methods of "teaching". Hopefully the documents are still around and haven't been destroyed... C|:-)
 
Not sure if you have already found this, but Edith's brother John (b1899) is on the Training Ship Exmouth, at Greys Essex on the 1911 census.
So it looks like both of them were in some sort of 'bother' to be removed from the family and placed into institutional care:(
 
MollyMay said:
Not sure if you have already found this, but Edith's brother John (b1899) is on the Training Ship Exmouth, at Greys Essex on the 1911 census.
So it looks like both of them were in some sort of 'bother' to be removed from the family and placed into institutional care:(
Click to expand...
More information about HMS Exmouth can be found at
Code: 
https://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/TSExmouth/
I did notice on the 1901 census that both parents were blind (if I have the right family RG13/91/62/10) - maybe another reason for their children entering institutions?
 
Not necessarily trouble my grandfather and his brother ended up in an industrial school because Great gran hadnt enough money to look after them and another brother with heart problems but she kept in touch with them and they bother learnt to be musicians and joined army bands.
 
I see that on the 1911 census, John Neat, father of Edith and John, is working at the Blind Institution, 258 Tottenham Court Road, London and has been totally blind since he was 10. His wife, Ada Emily Neat had been totally blind since the age of 18. They state they had 10 children, 3 of whom had died and 4 were still living with them.
PS Welcome to Top Dog :)
 
I know it is Edith you have asked about, but there is a lot of information available on her brother John Joseph dob 16/7/1898, from his baptism

On Ancestry he is shown as being admitted to the workhouse in 9/5/1908.
From there on 16/5/1908 he is set to Ashford School, where he remains until 9/3/1910.
It would appear he goes to the Exmouth at that point.
FMP has him as a Royal Naval Reservist from 1908 to 1955 and they have a photograph as well:).
In 1921 John is in Sheerness, on the HM Royal fleet auxiliary ship Philol.

I cannot readily see any entries for Edith, but it does look the family were strained at some point and these 2 children were placed in the hands of the authorities.
 
Thank you very much for all the replies, I never expected them. It's very interesting what you've all found out about John as I never knew about his life. With the info you sent I've also managed to trace Edith's documents (from the good shepherd industrial school) to the royal Berkshire archives. I'll definitely make a visit to them later this month.
I just wanted to mention that I currently live in Italy so if anyone needs any translation services or document finding they're more than welcome to ask.
 
From my experience with my grandmother, @Liam Cappello, who was abandoned by parents and taken in at the Workhouse with her brother at the age of six, these people kept it as a closely guarded secret from family all their lives. My relatives went into 'cottage homes' from there and my g-uncle received training for a naval career with the RMB. They told no one else of their past - it went with them to the grave. Such was the stigma surrounding such institutions, late 1800s/first half of the 1900s.
 
In my wife's family two great great uncles were sent in the mid 19th century to an industrial school in Bedfordshire by order of Northamptonshire education authority, which clearly had a deal with the school. From reports in historic newspapers the reason appears to have been that their father, a miller, insisted on keeping them away from the local school so that they could work in the mill.
The industrial school manifesto described it as being for "orphans of Catholic families". The two boys were neither orphans nor Catholics. One of the lads, on leaving the school went into the Merchant Navy and rose through the ranks as a very competent sailor. He then joined the Royal Navy, starting from the bottom again, rose through their ranks, served in World War 1, retired as a Captain and married the daughter of a wealthy Lancashire mill owner. Must have had a great education!
 
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