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Ancestry UK

Deaf and Dumb (Women and) Girls' Home, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire

On 1 January 1902, the Deaf and Dumb Girls' Home was opened at 80 Compton Road, Wolverhampton. It was founded by Jane Besemeres (1827-1905), who was a successful writer of children's books and poetry. Her experiences as governess of a deaf boy (Rupert Arthur Dent) inspired her to write books entitled Picture Teaching for Young and Old and Hints for Teaching the Deaf and Dumb. In 1886, she also founded the 'Church Mission to the Deaf and Dumb in South Staffordshire and Shropshire'. Based in Bath Street, Wolverhampton, the charity provided spiritual instruction for the deaf and dumb, visits to the sick at home, assistance in obtaining employment, and encouragement for the early training of children.

In 1909, the home relocated from 'Lymelofte' on Compton Road to 7 Clarendon Street. The home was sometimes referred to as being for '"Women and Girls' and, despite its name, seems mainly to have mainly received adults. In 1911, the matron of the establishment was Henrietta Florence Lucy Skoulding Cann and there were nine inmates, aged from 19 to 39 years.

Former Deaf and Dumb Home, 7 Clarendon Street, Wolverhampton, 2013. © Peter Higginbotham

Subsequently known as the Jane Besemeres' Home for Deaf Girls, by 1931 the establishment appears to have been primarily catering for elderly deaf and dumb individuals and seems to have closed not long afterwards.

Records

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  • None identfied at present — any information welcome.

Bibliography

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