Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital - Cecil William Becalick

[erika]

I'm sure this topic has been raised before about the Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital.
However I've just come across an entry in the SSHHH census for one of my rellies being an inmate age 12 at this institution in Church Road, Wavertree.

Can you just refresh my mind as to what this place was.

Many thanks
Cheers
Erika

[daggers]

A very brief outline, based on a booklet of 1984:
Founded 1708 in School Lane as an orphanage for Liverpool boys and girls, close to the old St Peter's Church. The building is still there in other use.
In 1906 it moved to its present site in Church Road, Wavertree but the orphanage aspect was removed many years ago.

There is much more to say, but is this enough?
D

[erika]

Hi Daggers

Thanks for reply and the information.
Not really sure tho' why he was there as an inmate. His father was dead, but his siblings were living at home with their mother in 1911 and he wasn't the eldest or youngest of the family.

Sad too as he joined up and went off to war and got killed almost straight away, he was only 19.

Cheers
Erika

[MaryA]

Although it was a number of years earlier and when the school was in the old location, my grandfather was there too. There are Admissions and Application Registers in the Record Office (probably Sandhills, they weren't filmed) and in my case they gave his details including when and where he was baptised, and also the "Circumstances of Child" which in my case was "Fatherless".

It would seem that children who were either orphaned or whose mother was managing alone, were often sponsored - again details of who were in the register, to attend the school, presumably to gain a good education and at the end to be placed as an apprentice to give them a good start in life, this placement was noted in the Application Book.

Perhaps your young man showed some promise in a particular direction, the Registers might be worth checking to see what information the details give. There are also Log Books, although as yet I've not been through them, I was told that there may be some day to day details in them but they might well relate more to the running of the school than events concerning the pupils.

[erika]

Hi Mary

Many thanks for your reply and information.
It would be nice to think he may have had a promising future, but for the war.
However I am not in a position to visit Sandhills to look at the registers, (south coast location!), but can I write to them for details?

I must look more into his past or rather his father's and see if there was a trade. I have only just found this line, albeit sideways, but I always like to put some flesh on the bones.

Thanks again
Cheers
Erika

[MaryA]

Doh I never looked at your location, sorry.

Write by all means, I hope they manage to turn up his entry for you. I would suggest that you also post what details you have about him here - name, dob, parents names, baptismal date and place if you have it since that might confirm his identification, and if anybody has any time while they are there they might be able to check it for you.

I don't want to hold out your hopes for this help since it would have to be pre-booked.

[erika]

Just an update on my man.

The info I have on him so far

Cecil William Becalick born 7th October 1898, baptised 26th October 1898 at St Catherines Edge Hill
Father Alfred James Becalick B. 1868 D. 1906.
Mother Esther Becalick nee Owen b. 1872 Liverpool

At the time of his baptism they were living at 13 Sutherland Street. They were still at this address in 1901 census. Alfred was a Storekeeper
In 1911 the family were living at 37 Solon Street, but Cecil was at the Blue Coat School.

Cecil died on 19 September 1917 in Salonika


If anyone happens to be going to Sandhills that would be great, but I will write too.

Thank you
Cheers
Erika

[BarbaraW]

I have just been on the Liverpool record office archive site and I think there is a 100 year closure due to sensitive material.

I wondered if you could prove the people were long dead if you could gain access to the files like with the 1939 register?

For those who have searched these records what kind of information is likely to be found? My mother told me that some of her aunts were put here when their parents died and my grand - dad used to pick them up at weekends.

[MaryA]

I wondered if you could prove the people were long dead if you could gain access to the files like with the 1939 register?

Roger Hull is often very sympathetic when requests are made for somebody you can prove was deceased.

This is what I found for my grandfather, the comments in brackets are mine, although he was in the Bluecoat School rather earlier, in the Bluecoat Chambers, School Lane, rather than Wavertree

Admittance Book details for Bluecoat School, Liverpool
Child - Lunt Wm R.
DOB - 9 Aug 1876
Fathers Name - Thos R Lunt
Mothers Maiden Name - Margt A Kent
Entry of Marriage - 1st Dec 1875 (this is obviously of the parents)
Date of Baptism - 12 Aug 1877
Entry of Baptism - St James West Derby No. 529
Circumstance of Child - Fatherless
By Whom Kept - Mother
Residence - The Priory, St Michaels Hamlet (again this was mother's residence, not the childs)
Apprenticed to - Loundes, Lloyd & Hilton
When - 29th Oct 1890
Where - 3 Brunswick Street
Application Book Details
Wm Richardson Lunt
Joiner (father's occupation)
9 yrs (presume the father had been dead for 9 years)
Nurse (mother's occupation)
11 Lucerne Street (believe this may be where he was living
9&3/4 (presume child's age)
Good (maybe referring to health)
E(no idea what it means)
20 (some sort of entry number)
Mrs Stanley Rogerson, Mrs M Ho(rn)(m)liv(e)y - (note mother was living with Rogersons in The Priory, St Michaels Hamlet at the time so presume these people were sponsors of the child.)

[lin]

My father always said he attended the Blue Coat School. If you go on their website there is an email address for someone who answers queries for past pupils. Having said that i emailed him and got no reply. I have read a book written by a past pupil which gave a good incite into the life in the school. From everything i have read you did have to be an orphan to go there at the time my father was supposed to have gone, he was born in 1916. Not sure if they made any exceptions as my grandfather moved from Bedfordshire with the police and my grandmother had very bad health. They lived in the police accomodation in Allerton. I would be interested in seeing the records. Is the Sandhills record office in Liverpool, sorry i have never heard of it.
Thanks
Lin

[MaryA]

Erika's original post was made when the Archives had to move out of town as the renovations were to take a couple of years. All has now returned to the Liverpool Record Office, third floor William Brown Street.

The microfilms for the Bluecoat School are readily available in the cabinets in the Record Office, but I don't know what date they go up to. If you wanted to search these it would be better to enquire before you make the journey. Contact us form is here https://liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/arch ... y-history/

[lin]

Thamks Mary I have every intention of coming on Tuesday. I will contact them and see if they have the years i want before i come. I could still do with a visit as i have other things i want to look at. Hopefully see you next week. Thanks again
Lin

[BarbaraW]

This sounds like great information to have as these are the children of one of my brick walls Thomas Henry Banks.

I read today that children had to go to some kind of "examination" or "interview" to see that they were suitable for entry. My mum can't remember which aunties went but it must have been a few of them as they were all young when their mother was buried in February 1917 then in December 1918 their father was buried.

Elizabeth (my nan) born 1898 and married to soldier John Brown in July 1918 who was killed in October 1918 then married to my grand-dad in July 1919 leaving her as the eldest with responsibility for them all.

Ethel died born 1901 died 1919
Thomas born 1903
Lily born 1906
Henrietta born 1910
Hilda born 1912
William born 1915

[MaryA]

their mother was buried in February 1917 then in December 1918 their father was buried.

I believe that would give you a start date for searching as the majority of the entries that I remember on the page were either "Orphans" or "Fatherless" as granddad was, I would imagine also "Motherless" would make the children qualify too. I don't believe there would have been many children who still had their parents.

This situation could be different by the date you will be looking at, I don't know if the criteria changed to more like a normal school rules once it moved to Wavertree.

[BarbaraW]

I will contact the LRO today Mary, is Roger Hull the head archivist?

[MaryA]

He is but for the dates you are interested in I wouldn't bother making a point of speaking with him unless they tell you the records are closed. Just mention the dates of death and I expect it should be ok.

[BarbaraW]

Thanks will do

[dogruff]

My mums mum Florence was an inmate/scholar there on the 1901 census aged 15. Her dad died in 1892.
I got the info with an image of the page off find my past.
There are kids on the page from far away places like the USA,Cape Colony S Africa and Birkenhead.

[MaryA]

Again her entry may be in the Admissions Register.

[BarbaraW]

For the record (I asked about the 100 year closure rule):

You are welcome to come and look at these records. I presume you want to look at the Application Books and Admission and Dismissal Registers. All these volumes are held on microfilm and are open records i.e. they are not under any 100 year closure. I will scan to email the details of these volumes. The microfilm are kept in the public area on the third floor of the Central Library.