Orphanages in West Derby

[firefly71]

Hello, i'm trying to track down my Grandfathers brother David J Dobson born 1913. His parents David & Catherine (nee Roberts) Dobson both died in 1918 in West derby from the Spanish flu epidemic & other family members were unable to take the 3 boys in so they were orphaned. The 3 boys were Joseph, David & Harold (my grandfather). When Joseph came of age he joined the RAF & then I think they separated the 2 younger boys. They sent Harold to Fairbridge farm in Western Australia in 1927 when he was 11 in one of the farm schemes. Joseph managed to track Harold down in the 80's but was not able to find David, who he thinks was sent to Canada in another farm scheme.
So to start this I need to try to find which institution they may have been sent to when their parents died to see if they have records on what happened to the boys. If anyone can list any that I can try that would be great. The family were Anglican & David was a Locomotive cleaner before he died (don't know which company). I have asked my relatives if Harold told them anything about this time, but like most kids who were orphaned & then sent to another country in a farm scheme, they are so traumatized & who knows what abuse they suffered that he would not speak of his past.
I would also appreciate any information on Catherine Dobson (Roberts), I have been searching however with all the white lies that they told in those days it's been interesting. For example on the marriage registry their ages are listed as both of them 25 in 1910. In the 1911 census ( 17 Warbreck Avenue Aintree Walton Liverpool)they are listed as David 21, Catherine 29. On their death listing in 1918 Catherine now 38 & David is 28?
If you can help with any information that would be fantastic.

[MaryA]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Have you managed to find which ships they went on, that often gives a clue to which institution they may have come from.

One of the most likely places is the Cottage Homes in Fazakerley, particularly given the address of Aintree, and we have some contact details for you to enquire. http://forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk ... tage+homes

As far as their ages are concerned, it could well be that when they married Catherine didn't tell the truth as David's family may not have approved of such an age difference, or perhaps she didn't actually tell him of the difference until later.

[firefly71]

Thank you for link, I will see what I can find with that. I haven't been able to find an info on ships or even emigration records for David. I had no problems finding Harold's.

[Blue70]

I can't find David on the Canadian records perhaps he stayed in England and then went to sea? Here is a David Dobson arriving in New York in 1943 and 1945 on a ship from Liverpool the age is a little bit out but it's a possibility considering there was only one David Dobson born in Liverpool c1913-1916. The images of the records can be viewed by clicking "View document":-

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2H9C-PQB

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2H3C-QMS


Blue

[Bertieone]

The only hits I get for David J Dobson, Canada,

Canadian Voters List, 1953, also 1957.


Name:
David J Dobson
Occupation:
Farmer
Year:
1953
Location:
Westmorland, New Brunswick, Canada
Electoral District:
Westmorland

David J Dobson, Farmer, Shemogue
Mrs David J Dobson
Lloyd Dobson, Farmer.
Kathleen Dobson, spinster

[dickiesam]

If you were fortunate to find the relevant institutions you could well run into the 'problem' of records being closed for 100 years and, as I have discovered from a similar personal quest, some institutions that exist today such as Barnardos will only release information to direct descendants.

Because I couldn't find David (J) Dobson in the outgoing passenger lists, as a long shot there is a possible marriage...
Marriages Jun 1950: Dobson, David J married Morton, Jean - Halifax (Yorks) 2b 1116.
If you were tempted to buy the marriage cert from the GRO http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ you could specify his father's name as a search reference. If the marriage David has the wrong father the GRO will refund the £9.25 fee in full.

[Blue70]

The only hits I get for David J Dobson, Canada,

Canadian Voters List, 1953, also 1957.


Name:
David J Dobson
Occupation:
Farmer
Year:
1953
Location:
Westmorland, New Brunswick, Canada
Electoral District:
Westmorland

David J Dobson, Farmer, Shemogue
Mrs David J Dobson
Lloyd Dobson, Farmer.
Kathleen Dobson, spinster

There's trees on Ancestry for this one that say he was born in Canada in 1875 and died there in 1962.


Blue

[MaryA]

This is another site that may well be able to help as it should list all those who went through the Receiving Centre https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podc ... ldren.aspx

I've just updated our list with this address, you may like to have a look see if any of the other suggestions are helpful http://forum.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk ... 88#p109688

[Blue70]

The seaman I mentioned could be another David Dobson (David Stoddart Dobson 1915-1969) who although not born in Liverpool died in Liverpool and was in the Royal Navy in the 1940s according to trees on Ancestry.


Blue

[Katie]

The Children may well have gone into either Walton Workhouse Infirmary or West Derby Workhouse before being transferred to the Cottage Homes.

The Research Officer will carry out a search of Fazackerley Cottage homes, however there will be a fee. You can get in touch with them at the following link.

http://liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/archi ... ontact-us/

[firefly71]

Thank you for all your posts. I try all these avenues to see what I can find. Thank you everyone for your support. I live in Australia so just to get the names of the institutions is a massive help.