Birmingham Area 1929
A snapshot of the children’s homes and other residential institutions for children in Birmingham in 1929. This was a sgnificant year as it was the last year of the Boards of Guardians. In 1930, Birmingham City Council was formed.
The Ansell School (for Boys), Balden Road, Harborne
Aston Union Cottage Homes, Fentham Road, Erdington Superintendent: RH Bryan Matron: Mrs EM Bryan
Birmingham Board of Guardians’ Girls’ Hostel, 236 Bristol Road Matron: Mary Williams This hostel, known as Riversdale, opened in 1921 and was for girls who had left a children’s home (and school) and were going into work – a working girls’ home. In 1952 it was renamed Pebble Mill House and was used as a City Council children’s home until it closed in 1976.
Birmingham Children’s Remand Home, 232 Moseley Road Warden: Thomas Preece This was opened in1911and funded by Barrow and Geraldine Cadbury. It was run independently of the Guardians of the Poor. It was taken over by the City Council in the 1930s. After the Second World War, it became known as Athelstan House and was used as a reception centre. It closed in 2001.
The Athelstan House building when it was standing empty after its time as a remand centre
The Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind, Carpenter Road, Edgbaston Accommodation for 175
Birmingham Police Hostel for Girls, Newton Street Superintendent: Miss Kate Short This remand home was given to the city by Barrow and Geraldine Cadbury in 1928. It was also known as Newton Street Remand Home. The street was not far from the law courts. However, in 1939, the hostel was closed.
Birmingham Working Boy’s Home, 198 Stratford Road Superintendent: Thomas Brewerton
Blue Coat School, 18 Colmore Row and St Philip’s Place Instituted AD 1724 for the educating and maintaining of nearly 250 male and female children who are received from 9 to 11 years of age and leave, boys at 14, girls at 15.More information here.
Carnegie Infant Welfare Institute, Hunters Road, Hockley Matron: Miss Elizabeth Exell
Children’s Holiday Home, 76 and 78 Selly Oak Road, Bournville Warden: Horace Cole
Church of England Waifs and Strays Society Home for Girls, 111 Church Hill Road, Handsworth Matron: Miss E Shelton More on the Waifs and Strays here.
The Church of England Waifs and Strays Boys’ Home, 13 Park Road, Moseley Matron: Mrs Evans More on the Waifs and Strays here. More on 13 Park Road (Sycamore House) here
Cottage Homes, Marston Green Superintendent: James Rhodes Matron: Miss BS Dittmer
Crowley’s Orphanage for Girls, 43 and 44 Lee Crescent, Edgbaston Matron: Miss Bertha Bowen
Dr Barnardo’s Homes - ‘Ever Open Door’, 78 Alcester Road, Moseley Superintendent: Mrs Marion Neal More information on Barnardo's here
Lordswood Nursery, Lordswood Road, Harborne Matron: Miss EL Anderson Lordswood opened in 1928 and became the first of Birmingham's residential nurseries - several more were to follow. Effectively, the nursery moved, in 1939, to Red House in Overbury in Worcestershire. It close in 1954.
Maryvale Roman Catholic Orphanage, Old Oscott Lane, Hamstead Sisters of Mercy in Charge
Mason’s (Sir Josiah) Orprhanage, Orphanage Road, Erdington House Governor: GW Cleaver
Middlemore Emigration Homes, 157, 159 and 161 St Luke’s Road Matron: Miss N Sweeney
Norton Training School for Boys, Fordrough Lane, Bordesley Green Superintendent: Sydney Pollitt Matron: Mrs Pollitt
Receiving Home, Summer Hill Terrace Superintendent: S Blandford Matron: Mrs L Blandford The Birmingham Board of Guardians bought this in 1905 as part of their workhouse/cottage homes provision for children. Children would be placed in Summer Hill until a permanent placement was arranged for them. A school was added in 1921. The home closed in 1939 when the children were evacuated in 1939 and didn't reopen.
Royal Institution for Deaf and Dumb Children, Church Road, Edgbaston Established 1812, accommodation for 183 (mixed)
St Brigid’s Hostel for Working Girls, 173, 174, and 175 High Street, Deritend Superior: Sister Joseph Plunkett
St Francis Orphanage, 91 Church Road, Moseley Sister Maria Francis
St John’s Training House (RC) for girls, 18 Gravelly Hill north, Erdington Sisters of St Vincent de Paul This building was, in 1976, bought to be a regional remand centre managed by Birmingham Social Services. The children were schooled on site and rarely left the unit. Later, a secure unit was added. After a series of incidents - inlcluding the deaths of two children in stolen cars, St John’s remand unit closed in 1997 and reopened as Kingsmere Remand Unit in 2000. Kingsmere closed in 2010. Two members of staff of St John's have been convicted of the abuse of residents.
St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Home, 31 Brougham Street, Lozells Accommodation for 122 girls. Mother Superior: J Whitehead
St Mary’s Home for Women and Girls, The Priory, Bristol Road South Superior: Sister Rev. Mother Philomena Duffy
St Philips Roman Catholic Orphange, 11 Oliver Road Principal: Sister Superior
St Vincent’s Home for Working Boys (Roman Catholics), 102 Moseley Road Superintendent: Alfred T Flynn
Shenley Fields Children’s Home, Shenley Fields, Northfield Superintendent: Harry Mitchell Cohen Matron: Mrs Bertha SE Cohen
Working Boys’ Home, 205 Vauxhall Road Superintendent: Sydney Charles Squires This home was opened in 1913 and was later known as Vauxhall House. It was closed in 1952, the boys being sent to Milton Grange or Copeley Hill Hostel, and the building was demolished soon after.
Working Girls’ Hostel, Shaftesbury House, 3, 4 and 5 St Mary’s Row Matron: Sister MiIlicent Brownhill
Uplands Convalescence Home, Greenhill, Blackwell As a convalescent home, The Uplands was run by the Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund which ran several convalescent homes in the early twentieth century. In 1967 Birmingham City Council bought it to use as a reception centre – children would stay at the Uplands for assessment for a few weeks and then be sent to one of the remand homes such as Tennal. In 1981, Uplands itself became a remand home (called then a community home with education). In 2003, Brian Gillam, manager of the Uplands between 1973 and 1985 was convicted of rapes that had taken place during his time at the Uplands. News report here [external website] The Uplands closed in 2010.
The Uplands building standing empty in 2010
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