The material below is taken from the web page Unless otherwise indicated, content is copyright Peter Higginbotham and may not be re-published without permission.
Ancestry UK

St Joseph's Nazareth House, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

A Nazareth House was established in 1873 in a property known as Milton Hall at 111 London Road, Southend-on-Sea. It provided accommodation both for the aged poor and for invalid, sickly or 'incurable' children from the ages of one to twelve years, mostly those from the Roman Catholic faith. Unlike most other Nazareth Houses, Southend particularly catered for older boys.

St Joseph's Nazareth House, Southend-on-Sea, c.1889. © Peter Higginbotham

In the 1890s, a large new block was erected at the south of the exiting buildings.

New wing at St Joseph's Nazareth House, Southend-on-Sea, early 1900s. © Peter Higginbotham

By 1920, the home — also known as St Joseph's Nazareth House and as Southend School — could house up to 150 boys. These included some placed by the workhouse authorities who were charged 13s. 6d. a week for each child.

In 1968, the home had become mixed, with places for 50 boys and 20 girls in the age range of two to fifteen years.

The property, still in the hands of the Sisters of Nazareth, continues to provide residential and nursing care for the elderly. In 2018, the local council rejected plans by the Sisters to replace the existing buildings by a new convent, a 77-bed care home and 154 flats.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • Sisters of Nazareth Archive, Sisters of Nazareth Archive, Nazareth House, 169-175 Hammersmith Road, London W6 8DB. The archivist is Christine Hughes. The archive contains material from the very beginnings of the order in the 1850s up until the present day. The archive is not open to the public and does not have facilities for personal searchers, although exceptions can be made for Sisters and for academic researchers. Enquiries are welcomed by post only for privacy and confidentiality reasons and replies are by also letter. There is no fee for dealing with enquiries, although donations to the Sisters are appreciated.

Bibliography

Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.