Ellen Gonner Childrens convalescent Home Hoylake

[Jean Raza]

Does anyone have any recollections of this childrens home? It is in Trinity Road, Hoylake and is now a block of flats though the building is still same.

Many thanks

[jan44]

Jean,

There are records for this place at Liverpool RO.

RefNo Title Date
1 Ellen Gonner Convalescent Home for Girls, Hoylake: annual reports, 1940 - 1965.
2 M364 CWA CHILD WELFARE ASSOCIATION 1872-1971
3 M364 CWA/3/3 Liverpool Kyrle Society 1903-1913
4 M364 CWA/3/4 Ellen Gonner Home 1916-1964
5 M364 CWA/4/3 Ellen Gonner diagnosis book. 1956-1967

Jan

[Jean Raza]

I will investigate further.

Appreciate your response.

Jean

[jan44]

Jean,

This is just some of the info given on one of the ref numbers.

RefNo M364 CWA/3/4
Title Ellen Gonner Home
Date 1916-1964
Description The brief reports summarise activity, by statistics on the numbers of children, their health conditions, length of stay; finances, including maintenance payments by the local authority; and lists of subscribers. They include some photographs of children and staff, all in their uniforms.
AdminHistory Ellen Gonner was a child welfare worker from West Kirby who supervised boarding-out arrangements on the Wirral for convalescent children on behalf of the CWA. On her death in March 1915, the CWA bought a house in Hoylake and converted it to a convalescent home, potentially for up to 75 girls up to the age of 16. The aim was to provide' a brief interval in the fresh country air, away from the cramped and often unhealthy conditions of town life for such children as are not seriously ill but merely ailing and weakly.' This was seen as vital in preventing more serious problems.
AccessConditions Access will be granted to any accredited reader

Jan

[Tina]

Hi folks
This forum is great in that it widens your knowledge.
I'd never heard of Ellen Gonner. She was obviously a wonderful caring person.
Died in Heswall 1915 aged 54 as Ellen E.
There's a birth in St George's Hanover Sq in 1860.

1938 Directory 29/30 Promenade Hoylake
Ellen Gonner Home for Convalescent Children
Lady Bates Chairman, Matron/Secretary etc
Offices 9 Copperas Hill.

Tina

[MaryA]

This forum is great in that it widens your knowledge.

I couldn't agree more! and I did wonder whether Jean would have got any response with it being out of area.

[Tina]

So true Mary, thank you for your reply.
I'm curious as to why a genteel lady like Ellen would bother with the Lpool lasses.
In previous census her father was a retired Silk Mercer, later she lives in London with her widowed Mother, cook, housemaid etc. They were monied people.
It's lovely that the home is named after her.
You just have to wonder how many philanthropic people who helped the poor of Liverpool have been acknowledged or lost in the history??
BTW her brother Eric was a C of E vicar in 1901 in Staffs.

Tina x

[MaryA]

Maybe she just liked the people here

[Tina]

Mary

Maybe she had her eye on a Scouse lad

Tina

[jan44]

I found this on another forum, I didn't know existed!

http://www.hoylakejunction.com/friday-p ... d-building

Jan

[marchbird]

Golly, this brought back some memories! I spent a few weeks at the Ellen Gonner Home in the early 40s recuperating from a dose of whooping cough. My Dad had died the month before and I think the doctor thought the break would do me good also a break for my Mum.

I was only five so memories are a bit sketchy. I remember playing with a large dolls house, having porridge every morning for breakfast and those walks along the promenade getting the sea air! Families were allowed to visit but not allowed to speak to you - only wave through the glass! I remember my Mum and Auntie coming and bringing me some little apples and a bar of chocolate but this was shared out and I didn't even get a piece of the chocolate. I thought they had come to take me home and I cried myself to sleep thinking I was never going home again.

Several years later going on to grammar school, we sponsored one of the beds and every Monday morning, we took a penny or twopence for "cot" money. One Christmas I was "cot" monitor for our class and a group of us went with a teacher to take some presents. I remember various beds had little plaques above with the sponsor's name on.

Last year I was visiting some relatives in the Wirral and did a "memory lane" trip and we passed the Ellen Gonner Home and saw it had been converted into flats.

Marchbird

[Tina]

Marchbird, thank you so very much for sharing your memories.
You had me in tears thinking of you as a 5 yr old , Dad had died and you just wanted to go home.
How ironic you should be the cot monitor.
Good choice, you could really understand.
In one reference I saw it said "Open Air Hospital"...
I hope that didn't include night time under the stars
You're memories are heartwarming.

Tina

[Jean Raza]

I am constantly amazed by the helpfulness of fellow researchers and your interest in other people's queries!

Thank you so much for all the information. My sister and I were at the home about 1954. I was only one at the time and my sister about 4. She has some memories and was very keen to find out a little more. We lived in Everton area and were not quite sure why we were put in there, could possibly be housing problems with my parents .

Thanks again. Hope everyone enjoying the sunshine.

J

[seasider66]

I'm finding this thread most interesting and wonder if anyone has a photo of the Ellen Gonner Home as it was before it became flats?
I have always known that my eldest brother and I spent some time in a children's home when we were young, but have not been able to find out which one or the reason why we were there. I have obtained various birth certs for my siblings and now realise that in the summer of 1946 my mum was pregnant with my youngest brother and my little sister died aged just 11 months That was July and little bro arrived in October, and I now wonder if that was the reason for us being sent to the home. I was about 6 then, bro was 4 and we had another bro who was about 3, so you can see how difficult it must have been for mum.
Any more information would be brilliant, or if anyone knows whether there are records anywhere for the children who were in homes for one reason or another.
Thanks

[Jean Raza]

My sister advertised in a local Wirral newspaper 2 years ago for information on the Ellen Gonner and West Kirby Children's convalescent homes. Several people responded with their memories (both children and staff). The West Kirby home was mainly for children recovering from illnesses such as TB, and the wards had beds which were on balconies so the children could benefit from the fresh air. The Ellen Gonner accepted girls only, from age 3-16. They were usually referred through the Child Welfare Office. It was mainly for girls whose families were experiencing domestic difficulties or the children were living in deprived conditions and a few weeks at the seaside was thought to be beneficial. The average stay was 28 days. The home was only a minute's walk to the beach, where the children were taken regularly. The staff wore blue nurses uniforms with starched collars and cuffs; the girls wore blue cotton dresses. The regime was strict and children were forced to eat all their meals. The building was converted into flats in 1967, but the facade remains the same. It is now known as Hoyle Court. My sister has several old photos of the outside but not the interior.

The Liverpool records Office holds the only known records of Ellen Gonner and they are only annual reports with no personal data on them. No personal records appear to have survived.

Some other homes around that time were: Hoylake Cottage Hospital, Birkenhead Road; Neston Cottage Hospital; Sefton Convalescent Home, AKA Babies Hospital, Noctorum, Birkenhead; Leasowe children's convalescent home (lots of photographs of this home are held at LRO, mainly from 1920s and 30s. )

Addresses worth trying: RecOffice.central.library@liverpool.gov.uk; recordoffice@cheshire.gov.uk; archives@wirral-libraries.net; Jean.Fortune@cheshire.gov.uk Apparently there exists a Children's Homes & Institutions Register for 1942/1966 ref CS 3/3/1 which gives the name, religion and admission details (contact the archivist at Cheshire records office) - may not get very far because of the data protection act, but worth a go.

My sister has unfortunately so far been unable to trace records of either of us, but you might have better luck!

Thanks again everyone for your input - without you we would not have got this far.

Cheers

[seasider66]

Several years later going on to grammar school, we sponsored one of the beds and every Monday morning, we took a penny or twopence for "cot" money.
Marchbird

Marchbird, may I ask which school you went to? I went to Evered Avenue, Liverpool after passing the 11+ and we also took a Penny or Twopence on a Monday morning, although I don't recall why

[marchbird]

Hi Seasider

I went to Queen Mary - just down Long Lane from Evered Avenue. I was there 1946-52. I was so sad to hear that the old school has been knocked down - had some great times there.

I think a few schools sponsored beds so perhaps Evered Avenue was one of them.

Marchbird

[seasider66]

Hi Marchbird,

That's interesting, and I wonder if our pennies were for a cot? Shame Evered has long gone, but I wonder if there are any records about this anywhere? Maybe the Record office? I'm hoping to have another weekend in Liverpool before the winter sets in, so I may try to find out
Funny how one comment can set a train of thought going isn't it?
I was at Evered a very short time really, only about 2 years, because we had to move to Derbyshire in 1953. My dad was a prison officer at Walton and one of the prisoners beat him up with a hammer Somehoow he survived but wasn't allowed to go back to Walton, so we moved to an open prison in Sudbury, Derbyshire. From there I went to Burton-on-Trent Technical High School, which wasn't anywhere near as nice as Evered had been.
Thanks again