Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me why children went to industrial schools, I've found one relative at Forest Gate Industrial school on 1891 census and another at Mile End Old Town Industrial school, both were female aged 9 and 13, Regards Michael

Hi Michael I think it is either an orphanage or a reform school. I was helping someone research a reform school in Liverpool and that was an orphanage and all the children were sent to Canada. Try googling and see what come up. Lin

If you google you can probably find the actual school they went to. Put Industrial Schools into the search box at the top of this board and you will also bring up several threads. It wasnt just for naughty kids, it was for children to train into a job and better themselves.

Hi Michael I think the purpose of Industrial Schools were to teach 'young Pauper's' some kind of trade or how to earn a living. I have found some of my ancestors in an Industrial School and they had been sent there from a workhouse. I am told that the Industrial school paid the workhouse to send them the children. I don't know if this helps or not!!! Best Wishes Tammy

Linda Heather and Tammy, thanks a lot for replying and giving me something to look up It's much appreciated Best Wishes Michael

quote Industrial schools opened in Forest Lane and at St. Georges in the East. The Forest Lane School was the scene of a tragic accident in 1890 when 26 boys were killed in a fire. The Popular Union continued to run the building as a school until 1906, when it become a maternity hospital. Just 'Google'.....' Forest Gate Industrial school '.............Lots tolook at !

There are many different reasons why children went into industrial schools. Some were run by the church. Sometimes if the children played truant, if the parents were too poor to look after them or if one of the parents had died the children were sent to these schools. I don't know if the schools were any different over here but in Ireland they were horrific places to be sent. My nan was in one because her mother had died and the catholic church decided her father could not bring her and her brother on his own so they were taken away. My nan went through hell and it haunted her till the day she died. I know not all of the schools were like this but I am sure to put the children in these places would have been a last resort.

Hi there I was given information about Ratby Industrial School Leicester and this is one of the comments made There were several reasons under the Industrial schools Act why children were sent away, destitute, single mother/father couldn't cope, being in the company of criminals, very rarely was it for committing a crime. I have a whole itinery of the way they spent the day etc This website might help http://www(.)missing-ancestors(.)com/index.html remove brackets as usual Elaine

I 'googled' Leeds Industrial School because I had two young ancestors there after their grandparents died and mother couldn't take them. I got loads of info. on the workings of these places. Susan