Industrial Schools of New Zealand

Discussion in Genealogy Forum started by Gayle B, Oct 26, 2016
GB
Gayle B
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I am using TP as a way to record research I am doing on the children who ended up in the Industrial Schools system in New Zealand. It's working well as a way to record a little of these children's circumstances, their lives before during and after. I include the parents where there is more than one child in the family or where the parents had some interesting history - often notorious. Feel free to look. Many children did not talk about their experiences and few of them were happy ones. Their backgrounds were often horrific. Not just neglected children were sent there but many 'scallywags' and petty thieves. If you have a 'black sheep' in your NZ family line they might turn up here. I have a long way to go. At present working on the Burnham School and there are 1000's of records for there alone.
R
Raven`
Hi Gayle,

I think I may have found one of my ancestor's in the St Joseph's Industrial School records - an Ellen Elizabeth Walker (Ellen E Walker) admitted 1882 aged approx 3 years possibly with Mary Anne Walker aged approx 11 years. I have scans of Ellen's records until her discharge as a teenager.

I am trying to trace Ellen's parents but cannot find birth certificate for her.

Do you know if there is any way to find documents about admissions to the industrial schools with more detail than the basic record books with age and section of the Act committed under?

Many thanks

Raven

GB
Gayle B
Hi Gayle, I think I may have found one of my ancestor's in the St Joseph's Industrial School records - an Ellen Elizabeth Walker (Ellen E Walker) admitted 1882 aged approx 3 years possibly with more ...
Mary Anne Walker aged approx 11 years. I have scans of Ellen's records until her discharge as a teenager. I am trying to trace Ellen's parents but cannot find birth certificate for her. Do you know if there is any way to find documents about admissions to the industrial schools with more detail than the basic record books with age and section of the Act committed under? Many thanks Rave
Hi Raven

Thanks for your email. At present I'm working primarily on the children who went through Burnham.

Are you based in New Zealand?. It looks as if you have already contacted Archives New Zealand if you have scans. They are your best bet in terms of the question you ask. Some of the schools run by religious orders did keep extra information that was kept within the Diocese. I don't have anything either and a quick check of 'Paperspast' reveals nothing, although a Mary Ann Walker was living as a prostitute in Wellington in the early 1890's and her age fits as being born in 1871.

I'll check over the next few days from home but I doubt I have anything on file. Regards Gayle

R
Raven`
Hi Raven Thanks for your email. At present I'm working primarily on the children who went through Burnham. Are you based in New Zealand?. It looks as if you have already contacted Archives New more ...
Zealand if you have scans. They are your best bet in terms of the question you ask. Some of the schools run by religious orders did keep extra information that was kept within the Diocese. I don't have anything either and a quick check of 'Paperspast' reveals nothing, although a Mary Ann Walker was living as a prostitute in Wellington in the early 1890's and her age fits as being born in 1871. I'll check over the next few days from home but I doubt I have anything on file. Regards Gayl
Thanks for your reply Gayle -that must be very interesting to work with the Burnham records - although also very sad to see the stories of the children as well I imagine.

Thanks also for your reference to the paperspast articles - I will definitely file those as potential links to Mary Anne.

I'm not currently based in NZ but am originally from there and luckily I can access most things online!

Best wishes

Raven