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Fonds

ST BRIDGET'S MOTHER AND BABY HOME

Catalogue reference: EDM 18

What’s it about?

This record is about the ST BRIDGET'S MOTHER AND BABY HOME dating from 1881-1988.

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Full description and record details

Reference
EDM 18
Title
ST BRIDGET'S MOTHER AND BABY HOME
Date
1881-1988
Note
"
Held by
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies
Language
English
Creator(s)
  • <corpname>House of Mercy, 1889-?, Chester</corpname>
  • <corpname>St Bridget's Mother and Baby Home, Chester, ?-1983</corpname>
Access conditions

Any records identifying individuals are closed for 100 years.

Immediate source of acquisition

Acc 1900(pt),2013(pt),2991(pt) 4855(pt)

Administrative / biographical background

The Home was founded in 1889 as the House of Mercy in Lache Lane, Chester, for unmarried mothers and their babies and was supported by the diocese and individual churches. Women came from various sources, but mainly from long stay shelters. They remained at the House of Mercy for two years, being employed in the commercial laundry there, and then found employment. In 1933 the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Wantage took over the running of the home. In 1950 the home gave up the laundry, its income being replaced by Good Friday collections. In 1973 the sisters withdrew and the house closed. It reopened in July 1974 with a lay staff, and set up a day nursery, but finally closed in 1983.

Many of the babies were adopted through the Chester Diocesan Adoption Society, registered in 1955 (see EDM 42)

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/735e8ca6-92ea-4c03-930d-3568b7668bd8/

Catalogue hierarchy

188,702 records

This record is held at Cheshire Archives and Local Studies

You are currently looking at the fonds: EDM 18

ST BRIDGET'S MOTHER AND BABY HOME