Children's Homes (Click to see this topic in full)
The following information was barred from me for 100 years. Both my mother and uncle were in the control of guardians in 1921 after being taken into care by the court. My uncle was held at Plemont Villa before emigrating off to Canada at the age 11 years to work on a farm. Middlemore (Emigrating) Homes of Birmingham were responsible for moving children away from property and ill health around the world. My Mother was sent to Bristol age 6 years and was placed under the control of the Anglican Nuns, the place known as an Industrial Institution. My mother was taken out of the convent early after spending 10 years there. The children worked many long hours under very strict rules laid down by the Nuns. Some worked in the convent's industrial laundry others in the surrounding gardens (workhouse?). The produce was sold to the community, the clothes were also for the community. The way children were treated around the world we will never know.

Children's Homes (Click to see this topic in full)
During family research in the 1911 census I have found a relation, a boy aged 12, was at the Boys Scattered Home, at Plemont (?difficult to read the handwriting) Villa, Whitley otherwise known as the Home for Children under the Control of the Guardians, with Edith Birch in charge described as foster mother I think. I have not encountered this type of institution before, was it attached to a workhouse? or some form of corrective home for delinquents like an early form of borstal? Any information gratefully received.

Children's Homes (Click to see this topic in full)
The Heritage Centre have done what they can do for me. My Mother and her brother were taken into care in 1922. This is where my information gets shaky. I believe her brother was housed in Plemont Villa / House home for boys near the London Cemetery 1922 before going off to Canada. I have been lucky, I have learnt a little from my cousin on the lad's arrival in Canada. Can anyone fill in the gaps in the early stages of the children's movement? I have copies of the court papers and there is no mention where they went. Maybe St Faith's Shelter or other Girls / Boys Homes. I have learnt there was a Girls home at the top of Hill Street but I don't know how to open their doors. It took a long time to squeeze information out of the Authorities because of the disclosure of information. I have to learn how the lad went to Canada and my mother was moved at the age of 6 to Bristol run by the Nuns (Workhouse?) for 10 years. I would like to fill the early gaps in the children's life so I can write it up.

Coventry Trams (Click to see this topic in full)
Thinking down another avenue, Foleshill tram depot was right next to Foleshill Workhouse. In 1918 it was closed and by 1921 turned into 27 flats. There does not seem to be any pictures of the Workhouse. Any thoughts on if it is the building behind the ladies ?

Coventry Union workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
That's the first full view of that side of the workhouse that I've seen. Top picture. A view of the workhouse from the William Henry Brook collection. The date was 1819 and remains of the city wall were still prominent.

Coventry Union workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
You can see it again here to picture the location in this 1948 image from BFA - I've highlighted the roof of it - by Whitefriars - the Morris works visible behind. That's Paradise Street lower left -

Coventry Union workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
Another recent surprise find via Facebook. I hadn't realised (despite it being clearly noticeable on BFA) that this large building that was formerly part of the Workhouse remained up until what I think was late 1967/'68. It was just to the south of the remaining section of Whitefriars facing Gulson Road by the London Road junction so finally became of victim of the Ring Road - although the accompanying Newspaper cutting where these originated from indicate it was about time - The clippings state: Brigadier Thomas Hutchison was in charge of the crumbling, old Salvation Army Hostel from May 1965 to February 1968. The crumbling former Workhouse where the Salvaltion Army provided as many as 150 beds by 1967. While the Corporation were still undecided as to where a new Hostel should be sited, staff at the Hostel had to patch up the structure from day to day. The entrance to the Hostel for Men was a depressing sight in the 1960s. The Army was under a 3-year lease and finding it more and more difficult to cope with the major building defects. All this was despite a 're-opening' in 1956 - which indicates to me the poor condition the buildings were in to decline again within 10-or so years -

Coventry Union workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
In the 1921 and 1926 directories (thanks to Heathite) at number 11 a Mr Joseph H Harris is recorded. That doesn't mean there weren't other people living there. They don't mention a workhouse anywhere on the street but again, that doesn't mean they weren't. There are two Smiths listed - at 4 Ernest Smith and at 14 Owen William Smith a boot repairer. There are Coventry Union workhouses listed but just 66 and 68 Hill Street. So on balance, I think that it's very unlikely that there was a chapel at number 11, although it could have been accommodation for workhouse residents. If you don't mind, I'll move your posts to Well Street, Upper Well Street and Hill Cross in a few days, unless some more relevant information about Smiths or workhouses turns up. That topic has more about the area, including Hill Cross which started after number 11 Upper Well Street. There are maps starting at post 57 that you may find useful and a link to a post war aerial photo that shows number 11 from the rear (opposite Lamb Street). There were a lot of businesses in the area, that may have taken placements from the workhouse system?

Coventry Union workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
Hi smithsearcher1, welcome to the forum A date and name might help us help you I can find a Reginald G Smith in the bottom flat at number 11 Upper Well Street in 1955. There are other people there, including a grocers. The buildings before the war were more numerous and there were several chapels nearby. I know that there was a chapel in the union workhouse at Whitefriars. Again, some specifics would narrow things down. This link about Coventry workhouses might help.

Coventry Union workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
I've been researching my father's family history for a while, today I discovered he was baptised at 11 Upper well street. Can anyone tell me more about this, was there a Chapel in the union workhouse.

Reddington family (Click to see this topic in full)
Thanks for your comments, Annewiggy. Yes, Sarah's life was very short and must have been extremely hard, surviving on so little money and being scared by the threat of the Workhouse. She died aged 50. According to her death certificate, the causes of death were: 1. Nephritis and 2. Dilation of the heart & heart failure. I did contact Warwick Archives concerning John Reddington's three terms as a patient at Hatton. Because the 100 year time limit hadn't been met, I had to send birth & marriage certificates proving that I was a direct descendent of his. I also had to pay £50 for a detailed search. I did however receive a treasure trove of notes which included a photo of John in a bed at Hatton [I had never seen a photo of him before]. The medical notes were very enlightening but the lady who did the research did warn me that the terminology used back then was not very PC or pleasant and was quite demeaning when referring to patients. Until the 100 years after his death are reached, I was told I could not post the information on Ancestry or other social media [don't know if rules have changed].

Census 1921 (Click to see this topic in full)
1921 CENSUS. Any advice on where to search next would be appreciated. My great grandparents had 13 children, one who died in infancy and another who died in the Great War. The remaining 11 can all be found at various Coventry addresses on the 1911 census. I searched the 1921 census but could only find the eldest 4 [all of whom were now married with families] and an 18-year-old son who was in the army. This left 6 children, aged 12, 14, 16, 22, 24 & 26, who I could not locate. I purchased the 1921 census records for the 4 older siblings to see if any of the younger ones were living with them but none were. The children's mother had died in 1917 and the father had been in Warwick Mental Hospital at Hatton [1919-1922] including the time of the census. I suppose they could have been living with their older siblings and not included on the census forms but find this a little doubtful for all 6. Can't understand why I cannot find a single one of them. If some were in the Workhouse, especially the 12, 14 & 16-year-olds, they would still have been listed on the census surely. Any ideas. Cheers in advance.

Whitefriars Monastery and Workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
Ah, that helps. Courts were rows or a full courtyard of houses behind a street front house. Houses had a number within the court. Court 1 on Whitefriars Lane Zoom out a few times to see the map. I think I've marked house 4 but I'm not totally sure (additional - I now think that there were 11 houses in the court so number 4 is the same property from both ends). These properties may or may not have had anything to do with the workhouse but it wasn't part of the workhouse complex. Originally they had little gardens on the other side of the path but by 1937 the gardens were probably merged to form a play and washing hanging area. The buildings were gone after the war but some may have been demolished before the war as there was a program of slum clearance at the time, (additional - I've now found the record of that.) Search at Coventry Collections for court 1 Item 2 is about the planned slum clearance of court 1 in 1938 so not destroyed by the war. Picture below shows the court and the arrow points to number 4.

Whitefriars Monastery and Workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
Thank you so much! I'm so glad I found this group! You've given me some great leads to follow. I've fallen into a bit of an ancestry rabbit hole over the last few weeks to solve the mystery of my grandma's past! It is quite colourful to say the least. She was born in Coventry in 1922, her parents were unmarried until 1938 and she was brought up at Father Hudsons. She had some contact with her mother and obviously knew they were living at Whitefriars as she used to take me to the toy museum often when I was a child. Her father was described as a labourer and died of tuberculosis in 1939. He was injured in the first world war and was possibly left disabled in some way. She always believed her mother had died in the Coventry bombings, although I can't find her listed anywhere and I've found her possibly living in a women's boarding house in Birmingham in 1940. I was aware that Whitefriars was a workhouse at some point but I'd read that it changed hands in 1930 and wondered what became of it then. I believe the Foleshill workhouse was converted into 27 flats in the 20s and also became an 'occupational centre for the unemployed' in 1932. I wondered if something similar happened at Whitefriars. Addresses are described as '1 court, 4 house' or '1c, 4h'. Whether it was some kind of refuge, place for the unemployed or some kind of church run charitable mission I don't know. I can't wait to be able to visit the Coventry archives to see what else may be hidden away! Catherine

Whitefriars Monastery and Workhouse (Click to see this topic in full)
Strangely my great-grandparents lived right next door to the workhouse in a few houses at right angles to Gulson Rd called Herbert's Row. They later moved in the late 30's to Stoke. Though born in Coventry great-grandmother's father was Irish from Dublin. His first wife died of a cholera outbreak in Coventry in 1840's. Your ancestors may have worshipped at St. Osburg's, Hill Street unless a priest came to Whitefriars' which is possible. Look for marriages and baptisms in St Osburg's registers. They are kept at St Chad's in central Birmingham where they can be viewed but it could be they are by now available on Ancestry.com. The Herbert or Warwick County Archives may hold copies. Best of success in your research into the Irish community in Coventry.