The House of Mercy - Horbury
My mother in law was sent from Herefordshire to the House of Mercy (later the Convent of St. Peter) in about 1925 (aged 12/13). She left in 1927 and was put into service in London. I have traced some documents in the Wakefield Archives but I am unable to understand the reason why she was sent to Horbury from Hereford. Her name was Bessie Eileen Jones. Her grandmother surname was Prosser. Could she have been sent to be near members of the family? Could her estranged father (William John Jones (Jack)) have lived in Horbury. I would be grateful for any information. Jennifer
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RE: RE: The House of Mercy - Horbury
The House of Mercy took in girls from all over the country. There were not normally any family reasons for their being there. Rather it was that the House was run on Church of England lines and provided training in domestic service, in particular. I have no idea how many similar establishments there were, but I doubt whether there were many. It catered for girls 'at risk' which could cover a very wide range of problems.
Comment from Kate Taylor on Friday, 26th August 2011.
RE: RE: The House of Mercy - Horbury
My G-G Aunt was brought to this place around 1881, she was there for 2 years. They worked in the laundry and visited the church daily but segregated from other people. It was run by Anglican Nuns. My aunt became servant to a missionary and sailed from Plymouth to Brisbane then up to the Torris Islands north of Queensland, Australia. At that time the natives there were cannibals. She met a sailor, got married and moved to Brisbane, had a couple of kids then emigrated to New Zealand and had some more children. Girls that went to this "house of Mercy " were destitute and were "rescued" by the middle /upper class and brought to that place. I went to see the Mother Superior and the Convent has about 6 Nuns living in it and the rest of the place is a private school. At the time there was no welfare state as such and if they hadn't been these places God knows what would have happened to them. These girls were trained as servants. My aunt's sister( my GG Grandma) was in service at 14 years to a parson at Kilnwick, East Yorkshire.
Comment from Maggie Whitlock on Sunday, 9th October 2011.
RE: RE: The House of Mercy - Horbury
My aunt Annie Amelia Helman was sent to the House of Mercy in 1906 and died there in 1907. In the records it only says she was taken there by a Mrs Berrington from York, the Mother Superir said they had not got any records. I would like to know if anyone else has got any records from there. Thanks, Margaret
Comment from Margaret Smith on Thursday, 13th October 2011.