Picture of you

When a family history request is made there are often a number of documents that have been kept within a case file which can be provided to researchers. Material such as application forms, visitor reports and indenture forms have been mentioned on this blog before. What are not included in these files however, often to the dismay of the genealogist, are individual images of the children.

Leap frog in the garden

That is not to say photographs of the children do not exist, just that images that were taken do not exist alongside the paperwork. If only it was that easy! Therefore there is a need to cross-reference any images found of the children in separate photograph albums, alongside the children’s names on the archive catalogue. Then when requests are made for individual files, references to photographs will appear at the same time a case file is located and can be provided. In a perfect world these photographs would be digitised and inserted into the catalogue but unfortunately a lack of resources restricts this.

John before admission, September 1885

Most photographs in our albums were taken of the boys as they were admitted to the Refuge between 1883 to 1905. These show the boys in promotional shots before they were admitted and afterwards. The girls do not appear to have been used so much for this type of advertising. Fortunately however, there are some images within the orphan homes admission books.

John after admission, April 1886

So if you had an ancestor in our homes during this period you never know whether a photograph may have been taken of them. With more of our books now indexed there is every chance one may be located. Why not contact us and see?