Genealogy Chat

I WAS RECENTLY RE LOOKING THROUGH THE CENSUS PAGES FOR MY FAMILY AND DECIDED TO LOOK UP ON TWO SISTERS WHO WERE BOTH EMPLOYED AS SERVANT AND COOK AT AN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
SO I LOOKED THROUGH THE INMATES,INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS WERE THE FIRST BORSTALS,WHERE YOUNGSTERS WHO WERE IN TROUBLE WAS KEPT OUT OF PRISONS AND TAUGHT A TRADE,
THERE WAS PAGES AND PAGES OF NAMES AGE AND THATS IT..LOST KIDS ,,SO MAYBE IF YOU CANT FIND ONE OF YOUR YOUNGSTERS THEY MAY JUST HAVE BEEN AN INMATE IN AN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

My g grandmother was an inmate in the industriel school in liverpool,her sister was adopted,think that says it all dont you. :-D

I don't think it was quite so simple. Not all the children had committed an offence. See:

http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/articles/raggedschool.html

'The Industrial Schools Act

At first like the ragged schools the Industrial Schools were run on a voluntary basis. However in 1857 the Industrial Schools Act was passed. This gave magistrates the power to sentence children between the ages of 7 and 14 years old to a spell in one of these institutions. The act dealt with those children who were brought before the courts for vagrancy in other words for being homeless. In 1861 a further act was passed and different categories of children were included:

Any child apparently under the age of fourteen found begging or receiving alms [money or goods given as charity to the poor].
Any child apparently under the age of fourteen found wandering and not having any home or visible means of support, or in company of reputed thieves.
Any child apparently under the age of twelve who, having committed an offence punishable by imprisonment or less.
Any child under the age of fourteen whose parents declare him to be beyond their control.'

Jan

My Great Aunt was removed for her home by the courts when she was 8 years old and placed in an industrial school. It was through no fault of her own, but through fault of her mother and/or father. She remained there until she was 16. Upon her discharge she went in to some form of local employment (no record of what it might have been) however, she was not obligated to stay there. It is after this that we have lost track of her.

I found the hidden lives website very interesting, unfortunately the industrial school my great Aunt was in isn't listed, but wow..some of the lives these children lead is gut wrenching.

A g/guncle of mine was in an Industrial School - his was an Industrial School for Crippled Boys - where disabled children were taught a trade - he was taught saddle making.

So not all criminal - but many were just put there as they 'could' have turned to crime without this help.