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Work Houses


julie leach

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On researching my family tree i came across several names of children and young adults all living together under one address but not the same surname. The address was of Myrtel Spings, Handsworth. Was this a work house?

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Was this in a census? If so give me details and I will look it up and get back to you. Often children were put into foster homes belonging to the workhouses so they could live, go to school and as young adults go to work within the community.

Lyn

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Yes it was in the "Indexes" census 1841. Bernard Hancock aged 12, Herbert Hancock aged 10 and Walter Hancock aged 8. All of Myrtle Springs Handsworth. Thanks

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Guest Jeremy

It appears to have been a school. Henry Flory was the school master. The census lists him with his wife Clarissa and their two children and then 24 students, including the names that you mention.

Jeremy

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It appears to have been a school. Henry Flory was the school master. The census lists him with his wife Clarissa and their two children and then 24 students, including the names that you mention.

Jeremy

Interesting, as the school on East Bank Road was called "Myrtle Springs" for some time in the 1980's to 2000's between being Hurlfield School and Springs Academy.

Myrtle Springs itself is on the Arbourthorne but at one time this seems to have been part of Handsworth. We have previously discussed on this site the fact that the Noahs Arc pub on Mansfield Road once was referred to as in Handsworth and the water works on Hurlfield Road / Hagg Lane behind Myrtle Springs school still carries a name stone stating it to be Handsworth Water Works.

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Hia thanks all for your help, very interesting. One can only assume that these children are orphans!

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It appears to have been a school. Henry Flory was the school master. The census lists him with his wife Clarissa and their two children and then 24 students, including the names that you mention.

Jeremy

I posted this in the 1871 Directory of Advertisers images topic,

maybe it's the same school?

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Guest Jeremy

I posted this in the 1871 Directory of Advertisers images topic,

maybe it's the same school?

The advert states that the school was founded in 1838, which would tally with Henry Flory's listings in various directories:

Henry Cornelius FLORY Professor & translator of languages 12 Cheney Row White's 1833

Henry Cornelius FLORY Professor of languages 11 New Church Street White's 1837

Henry Cornelius FLORY Academy Myrtle Spring White's 1849

Dr Henry Cornelius FLORY Academy Myrtle Spring White's 1852

Henry Cornelius FLORY 23 Southbourne Road Kelly's 1893

1893 ?? How old ? is this a son ?

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Guest Jeremy

Hia thanks all for your help, very interesting. One can only assume that these children are orphans!

Depending on how you calculate it (average retail price or average earnings) 40 guineas per year works out to between £3000 and £30000. So it seems unlikely to me that the children were orphans.

Jeremy

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Guest Jeremy

It looks like the Allen brothers moved the school to Matlock in 1877.

From The Derby Mercury, 18 July 1877:

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Picture Sheffield have a photo taken about here:

No idea whether or not the building shown was associated with the school.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s08022

Dr Flory's Boarding School was established in 1838 at Myrtle Springs, which was then in the parish of Handsworth. Pauline Shearstone's books about Gleadless state it to be in the grounds behind the Toll Bar at the top of Hurlfield Hill, although how far behind is not stated. Dr Flory died in 1863 and the school was then run by his son Henry until 1870. He then sold it to Caleb and Joshua Allen who ran it until 1877 when it was apparently closed and sold. The schoolhouse was still standing in 1918 but apparently had been demolished by 1949.

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Thanks MA,

though the OS map states 1951, that is the

date of printing & publication.

Here's a 1931 map,

the building that stands to L/H side of Hurlfield House was a brick works.

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Thanks MA,

though the OS map states 1951, that is the

date of printing & publication.

Here's a 1931 map,

the building that stands to L/H side of Hurlfield House was a brick works.

Reading Pauline Shearstone's "Old Gleadless" a bit more closely suggests that the schoolhouse was amongst some cottages set back from the lane and was No 3 Myrtle Springs. To me this would indicate it is one of the buildings set back form Myrtle Springs Lane, to the right of the name Myrtle Springs in the map above.

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Guest Jeremy

Henry Cornelius FLORY 23 Southbourne Road Kelly's 1893

1893 ?? How old ? is this a son ?

Not sure who edited my post but yes, this must be a son. As MA mentioned above, Flory died in 1863.

The Leeds Mercury, 15 August 1863:

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Reading Pauline Shearstone's "Old Gleadless" a bit more closely suggests that the schoolhouse was amongst some cottages set back from the lane and was No 3 Myrtle Springs. To me this would indicate it is one of the buildings set back form Myrtle Springs Lane, to the right of the name Myrtle Springs in the map above.

Going on my childhood memories of this area which I didn't visit very often if you turned right at the top corner of Arbourthorne Road where it turns left to meet Hurlfield Road onto what is now Toll Bar Road there was access on the right to a public footpath which went across a field, behind the houses that now stand on Toll Bar Road and then the path dropped down a steep embankment into what appeared to be a disused quarry (it appears from the previous maps this was the site of a brick works) before finally reaching Gleadless Road. I am sure that the top level used to have the remains of foundations of old buildings which had been demolished. Could this have been the school? Or was it an old farmhouse? Part of the problem seems to be the renaming of most of the roads in this area in the 1930's when the housing estate was built eg Hagg Lane to Hurlfield Road.

Would be interesting to find the exact site of this school.

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Having read the post again, and looked at the map, the old foundations I refer to could well be those of Hurlfield House.

This would be approximately the site I am thinking of.

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Having read the post again, and looked at the map, the old foundations I refer to could well be those of Hurlfield House.

This would be approximately the site I am thinking of.

A couple of photographs on picturesheffield show Hagg Ln (1900'ish)

in the bachground looks to be one or more large chimney's.

I'm wondering now if that was part of the Brick Works shown on the 1931 map,

if so the building/house shown could have been part of or very near to Hulfield House.

Link 01 & 02

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A couple of photographs on picturesheffield show Hagg Ln (1900'ish)

in the bachground looks to be one or more large chimney's.

I'm wondering now if that was part of the Brick Works shown on the 1931 map,

if so the building/house shown could have been part of or very near to Hulfield House.

Link 01 & 02

Is it Hurlfield House or is it the waterworks building which is still there today, almost oppsite the entrance to the new Springs Academy school?

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Is it Hurlfield House or is it the waterworks building which is still there today, almost oppsite the entrance to the new Springs Academy school?

It looks to be the waterworks,

it can be seen on OS map #70,

there is link in my post (14) above.

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