The following
places are known to have taken in orphans from the disaster. Some have
been listed under the `Widows and Orphans Relief Fund' previous chapter,
but are also included here to provide as comprehensive a list as
possible for those seeking out family ancestors.
The 1871 census was taken some seven months after the
disaster, and where the places can be tracked down in the censuses (no
easy matter), the children should be there. Where known, the census
references are given.
Some of the bigger orphanages may well have had their
record books retained in archives somewhere, and possibly the Royal
Hospital School may have more records than the entry applications seen
by the author.
The listing is in alphabetical order of the name of
the institution, or of the town.
__________________________
Conway School Frigate - two admissions for sons
of officers (the Times, 30th September, 1870).
Cottage Orphanage, Colwich, Staffordshire - two
girls taken thanks to Rev. E Harland (the Times, 17th November,
1870).
Female Orphan Asylum, Beddington, Surrey -
admitted three orphans (the Times, 7th October, 1870).
Green Coat School, Greenwich - took in two of
the author's ancestors, and maybe others too.
Hull Seamen's Orphan Asylum - to take one girl
and one boy (the Times, 10th November, 1870).
Industrial School, Goldings (probably the
Barnardos Home in Hertfordshire) - one girl taken (the Times,
10th November, 1870).
Industrial School, Lewisham, Surrey - one girl
taken (the Times, 10th November, 1870).
Josiah Mason's Orphanage, Erdington, Birmingham
- one boy (the Times, 17th November, 1870).
Kenton Industrial School - one girl sponsored
by Mrs Burgoyne (probably in Kenton in north London; could Mrs Burgoyne
be a sister-in-law of Captain Burgoyne?) (the Times, 17th
November, 1870).
Ladies Charity School, Highgate, London - Miss
Moore sponsored one girl (the Times, 17th November, 1870).
Marine Society "Founded in 1756, The
Marine Society has provided guidance, life-long learning opportunities
and support for professional seafarers from all the sea services since
before the time of Nelson" (see website www/ms-sc.org) - offered
ten places to their training ship Warspite (possibly at the time
moored at Greenwich) (the Times, 7th October, 1870).
National Children's Home, Ham Common, Twickenham,
Surrey - one orphan placed there by the Dowager Countess of
Lichfield (the Times, 12th October, 1870).
Orphan Home, Hawarden, Flintshire, Scotland -
one boy taken (the Times, 10th November, 1870).
Orphan Home, Pimlico, London - one girl taken
(the Times, 10th November, 1870).
Orphan Home (Sailors), Hampstead, London
- one girl taken (the Times, 10th November, 1870); this could also
be the Sailor's Orphan School which took in two girls, thanks to
Miss Hoare and Miss North (the Times, 17th November, 1870).
Orphan Working School, London (then),
now Royal Alexandra and Albert School, Gatton Park, Surrey - charitable
foundation established in 1758 in the East End of London; quote from their
website (http://www.raa-school.co.uk)
"(The) Committee, upon
hearing of the loss of H.M.S. Captain in September last at once offered to
receive two or more of the orphans arising from this national calamity.
The fathers of the two orphaned boys subsequently admitted to the School
had been respectively a sailmaker and a seaman gunner."
Correspondent John
Billingham, currently a trustee (and ex-pupil) of the school has confirmed
the names of the two boys, thus
Ernest H Huxford; Born July 31 1863
and admitted in February 1871. His father is descibed as 'sailmaker',
resident in Southsea and the entry indicates that Ernest may
have had 1 or 2 siblings. There is no record of any other children of
the same surname name being admitted to the school.
and
James Thorne; born February 10 and
also admitted in February 1871. His father was a 'seaman Gunner'.
There is no mention of his residence. James appears to have had 2 or 3
siblings; again, no record of admission.
Both boys were admitted directly to
the school without election on account of the disaster.
Ripon Industrial School, Yorkshire - one
girl, thanks to the Countess de Grey and Ripon (the Times, 17th
November, 1870).
Royal Albert Orphan Asylum, Bagshot,
Surrey ( later merged with the Orphan Working School/Royal Alexandra
and Albert School - see above) - two boys thanks to the Misses Docrwa (or Doowra) (the Times,
17th November, 1870). (Admission registers available at the National
Archives, Kew; ref GB/NNAF/C60475 )
Royal Caledonian Asylum, Holloway, North
London - would waive entrance conditions and payments to take the
children of any Scottish sailors or marines who were lost (the Times,
12th October, 1870), also one girl (the Times, 10th November,
1870); also one boy mentioned again (the Times, 17th November,
1870).
Royal
Hospital School, Greenwich - according to a report in
the Times on 28th September 1870, the School had resolved to
admit five orphaned sons of officers.
The records are kept at the
National Archives (PRO) at Kew (ADM 73/226). Set up in what is now the
National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, the school was founded in
the 17th century for the support of Royal Navy seaman, their widows and
children.
The writer’s own ancestor on HMS Captain had both brothers and his own
children there before the disaster, and ADM 73/226 contains packets
of papers for each boy joining the school. This is a goldmine for
genealogists, containing the original application forms, records of
service for the fathers, lists of siblings, and much more supporting the
application.
1871 census for the School
can be found (on the Ancestry.co.uk program and no doubt
elsewhere), by finding Kent/Greenwich/Greenwich East/Royal Hospital School
(chosen at the bottom of the list of Districts).
1881 is slightly different
- London/Greenwich/Greenwich East/ and again towards the bottom of the
list of Districts.
Royal Naval Female
School, Twickenham - agreed to take the daughters of officers (the Times,
30th September, 1870)
Seamen's Orphan Home,
Berry Head Road, Brixham, Devon - not known for certain, but quite
probably took some children, bearing in mind it was only about five miles
from the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport.
Attendance records for the late 19th century do not now exist, certainly the school was listed in the 1871 and 1881 UK census returns, and about ten surnames tie up with those on the list of those lost on the St Paul’s plaques.
(To find the page in the 1871 census, using Ancestry.co.uk go to
Devon/Brixham/District 4/page 47)
Thames Marine Officers'
Training Ship Worcester (a privately owned ship for training
officer cadets, loaned from the Admiralty, and moored at that time at
Rotherhithe, Kent) - were to present two years education on board the Worcester
for a son of one of the commissioned officers of the Captain (the Times,
13th October, 1870).
Welsh Charity School,
Ashford, Kent - offered to take two children of Welsh parentage (the Times,
7th November, 1870); also the Welsh School
(same place?) one boy (the Times, 17th
November, 1870).
-oOo-
HMS Captain
1870
