Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I have recently read Liverpool's Naughty Children by Joan Rimmer.
In the forward of ther book, written 1986, she mentions all the records available to her.
I have tried St.Helen's library together with the Record Office in Preston without success. Preston carries records from 1904.
The 1881 Census identifies my wife's great grandfather as a 15 year old inmate at the Liverpool Farm School. His wedding cert, 1888, identifies him as a mariner. I was hoping the records might advise which shipping company he joined on leaving the school so I could trace his maritime history.
I believe he became an inmate when his mother died 3Q 1880. His father was already dead at the time.
Does anybody know where the Liverpool Farm School's 19th Century records are maintained?
Thanks Dave

Try Liverpool Record Office they have some volumes of the Liverpool Catholic Reformatory Asociation which gives lists of the inmates, dates of birrth when admitted their sentence and what they did and when they left.

I know they have around the 1890s but don't know if they have the time you want.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Hi Dave,

I found this info on The National Archives website, it may be a case of looking through other records, Board of Guardians and places like that, or maybe trying to find the records of Akbar, a training ship.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/ ... 24&cid=0#0

Jan

Hello Dave,
You might find this site of some assistance:
http://www.missing-ancestors.com/liverp ... 20info.htm

Worth noting that this School (aka Reformatory) was involved in the dreadful and cruel scheme whereby children were sent to Canada, often without the knowledge of their parents and siblings. If you google "Liverpool Farm School" [including the quotes] you will get several references to the 'Children to Canada' scheme.

I think it is likely that your wife's great grandfather would have been taught some sort of 'elementary' trade while at the school. He would then have been simply sent out into the world to fend for himself at age 14 or 15 or thereabouts. He would have probably enlisted in the Navy of his own volition and I don't think the School would have had anything to do with it. I am quite happy to be corrected on that point though.

My experience has been with orphanages and even in the 1930s young girls were taught the Domestic House Maid/Servant skills. Boys were taught a basic manual craft.

Dickiesam

The Liverpool Maritime might be able to help.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/

Type in the search Akbar, I think the records are at Lancashire RO

Jan

The volumes I was referring to list the date they left at the end of their sentence. At the time it was a reformatory and they were sent there.

It might be worth trying to see if you can find mention of your ancestor in the papers of the time. This might give some further information. It is likely that on release as many youngest in the area did he went to sea. Seamen signed up for individual trips they found a berth and then took another. Although they may have remained with one line for some time they may also just as likely worked for many different lines.

Have a look on the National Archives website as it explains it better than I can BUT apparently registration of seamen stopped between 1853 and 1913 so it makes it extremely difficult to find people.

Some of the passenger lists on different immigration/emigration sites may help your search. If your man was in the Royal Navy it might be easier.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Dear fellow members,
Thank you for your interest/responses.
I will certainly follow-up suggested leads.
With my wife's great grandfather's name of Robert Roberts-Hiscocks (He was adopted by the Hiscocks family, aged 5) he shouldn't prove too difficult to find.
Once again, thank you one and all.
Dave.

Cross reference with another post on the St Helens Board
http://liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB ... php?t=9163