Mother and Baby Homes — Bedfordshire-Cumberland
The establishments listed below are believed to have provided at least some accommodation
for unmarried mothers and their babies, during at least some of their existence.
They include maternity homes, before-and-after-confinement care homes, hostels for
pregnant working girls or working mothers, and Irish County Homes.
Homes that in their day were labelled Magdalen Homes are listed elsewhere.
Where applicable, the 'Places' column shows the accommodation provided for
mothers and babies (exact figures could change over time).
Note that over the years, many institutions changed location and/or name, sometimes more than once.
The accommodation provided, age of those admitted etc. at a home could also vary.
Bedfordshire
Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
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|
Bedford and County Girls' Home, 1 Hill Rise, Park Road North, Bedford | 1932 | 31 March 1957 | Mothers and babies; 12s. 6d. Maternity ward in the Home. | 16m/16b | no limit |
Holt House, 178 Hurst Grove, Bedford | 1961 | 1968 | Before and After Care Home. | 11m/6b | 16-24 |
Bedford and County Home, 97 Ashbunham Road, Bedford | 1919 | 1932 | Mothers and babies; 10s. Maternity ward in the Home. | 12 | no limit |
Widecombe, 36 Grasmere Road, Streatley | by 1961 | | Before and After Care Home. | 7m/7b | over 17 |
Berkshire
Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
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|
Mother and Baby Hostel, York House, 50 Andover Road, Newbury | | | | | |
The Warren, Newbury | | | | | |
Burnell House Hostel, 27 Bolton Avenue, Windsor | by 1964 | c.1967 | Post-natal home - mothers may go to daily work. | 19m/19b | |
St Michael's, 2 Dorset Road, Windsor | c.1925 | c.1964 | Before and After Care Home. | 7m/3b | |
St Michael's, 56 Frances Road, Windsor | c.1964 | 1970s | Before and After Care Home. | 7m/3b | |
Buckinghamshire
Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
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|
Mid-Bucks Maternity Home, 33 Bicester Road, Aylesbury | 1928 | | Unmarried expectant mothers; first time only; 10s. from diocese; others 12s. 6d. | 6 | under 30 |
Putnam House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury | by 1949 | | Maternity Home. | 20m/12b | 14-20 |
Mid-Bucks Home, Putnam House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury | c.1949 | | Rescue and preventive cases; temporarily. Local cases 3s. 6d.; others 10s. | 18 | no limit |
The Grange, 56 Amersham Hill, High Wycombe | 1940s | | Destitute or friendless boys, either orphans or only one parent. | | |
Slough and District Girls' Home, 11 Sussex Place, Slough | 1919 | | | 2m/2b | |
Slough and District Girls' Home, 3 Belgrave Place, Uxbridge Road, Slough | 1919 | | Before and After Care Home. | 2m/2b | |
Cambridgeshire
Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
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|
Ely Diocesan Maternity Home, 48 Bateman Street, Cambridge | 1920 | early 1970s | Unmarried mothers with first child. Diocesan cases,10s.; others, 12s. | 14m/10b | 15-30 |
Cheshire
Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
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|
St Faith's Home for Girls, 24 Palm Grove, Birkenhead | 1912 | | Mothers and babies; local cases 10s.; others 12s. 6d. Remain six months. | 15m/20b. | 15-27 |
St Bridget's Mother and Baby Home, 15 Lache Lane, Chester | c.1949 | 1917 | Before and After Care Home. | 20m/12b | |
Crewe Shelter /St Hilda's, 71 West Street, Crewe | c.1937 | | | | |
Knowle House, Sagars Road, Handforth | by 1949 | | After Care Hostel, later Before and After Care Home. | 22m/16b | over 14 |
Hoylake Mothers and Babies Home, Prospect House, 7 Trinity Road, Hoylake | by 1949 | | Before and After Care Home. | 12m/8b | |
Home of the Good Samaritan, 27 Victoria Road, Grappenhall, Warrington | by 1949 | | Before and After Care Home, some Shelter beds. | 14m/8b | |
Cornwall
Name and Location | Founded/Opened | Closed/Moved | Classes Received, Weekly fees, etc. | Places | Admission Age |
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|
Penzance Shelter, Morwenna, Lescudjack Terrace, Penzance | by 1950. | | Before and After Care Home. | 8m/3b | |
Truro Diocesan Maternity Home, Mount Prospect, Redruth | 1916 | 1920s | Unmarried mothers; Diocesan cases 7s. 6d. And 15s. Confinement fee; others 10s. And £1 fee. | 6 | under 20 |
Cornwall Preventive and Rescue Association Mothers' and Babies' Home, Rosemundy, St Agnes | 1917 | | Girls expecting first confinement; Cornish girls, 10s.; others, 15s.; remain three months after confinement. | 15m/7b | under 25 |
Mother and Baby Home, Rosewood, Woodland Road, St Austell | | | | 24 | |
Cumberland
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