Lancashire Roman Catholic Reformatory for Girls, Old Swan

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi all

Does anyone have any information or images of the Lancashire Reformatory School for Roman Catholic Girls at May Place, Broad Green Lane, Old Swan?

There is information on the institution at

Lancashire Reformatory School for Roman Catholic Girls, Old Swan, Liverpool (http://www.missing-ancestors.com/lancashire_reformatory_school_old%20swan%20liverpo ol%20info.htm)

Originally at Blackbrooke House, St. Helens, where it was certified 23rd June 1869, the school was run by the Sisters of Mercy and accepted its first girl that October. The reformatory moved to Old Swan and was re-certified 24th November 1876 for 70 girls and again, re-certified 3rd March 1902 for 75 girls. Closed 1922.

Thanks in advance for any information anyone can provide!

Chris

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi all

Unless someone corrects me, this appears to be the place that served as the reformatory. It has now been renovated for use as sheltered housing:

May Place, Old Swan (Owen Ellis architects web page) (http://www.owenellis.co.uk/html/projects/project_full.php?id=69)

"The core of the scheme is a late 18th Century house that had been seriously neglected and almost lost under later additions. The original building was uncovered and restored to become the centre of a sheltered housing scheme providing 50 self contained flats around a sunny landscaped courtyard that can be enjoyed by everyone who lives at May Place."

Chris

[Kev]

Hope someone can help Chris.

Kev

[ChrisGeorge]

Hope someone can help Chris.

Kev

Thanks, Kev! :PDT11

Chris

[JMLE]

May Place as far as my wife can remember used to be called St.Vincent's Hospice prior to falling into disrepair and reopening under its original name of May Place as sheltered accommodation. When it was St.Vincent's Hospice it was run by nuns and was basically an asylum, or it seemed to be when her Nan was in there. Not sure when it was built, but it's on an 1851 map.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j248/itsmma/MayPlace.jpg

[ChrisGeorge]

Hello Kev

Thanks, Kev. There is some Jack the Ripper interest here. The fifth canonical victim victim was named Mary Jane Kelly. Obviously this is a very common Irish name. Nonetheless there was an MJK at the Old Swan facility. Whether she is the right Mary Jane Kelly is quite another question.

Chris

[anonymouse]

Hi Chris, I hope this old map helps:-

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk159/anonymousetoo/LancashireRomanCatholicReformatoryf.png

? British History Online

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi anonymouse and JMLE

Thank you both for that information and the two maps. I am putting together a short article on May Place and the girl named Kelly who was there that will hopefully appear in the November issue of Ripperologist shortly to appear. If you both care to email me through my Yahoo! (http://editorctrip@yahoo.com) address, I would be pleased to credit you for the help. I am especially interested in using the map you show, anonymouse, because it better shows the facility than the other map--mouse, what date is that map, if I might ask?

Chris

[marky]

I searched for 'May Place' on the Library Archive site:
Liverpool Record Office: Online Catalogue (http://archive.liverpool.gov.uk/dserve.exe?dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Search.tcl)

364:CAT Records of the Liverpool Catholic Reformatory Association...this link contains the following information:

...This was followed on 24 Nov. 1876 by the opening of the May Place Reformatory School for Girls, Old Swan

The May Place Reformatory School for Girls was closed down on 31 Mar. 1922, when its Home Office certificate was withdrawn

[marky]

Grade II Listed Building:

Broad Green Road L13 St. Vincent?s Hospice.

English Heritage have photos of all Listed Buildings so a search for Hospice reveals...
Detailed Record (http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=213786)

[JMLE]

You're welcome Chris. If you would like a present day picture of May Place let me know and I'll drive down to take one.

[hmtmaj]

According to the book, A Pictorial History of Old Swan and Tuebrook by Colin Gould....
MAY PLACE

May Place, in Broadgreen Road, was built in about 1760 by a gentleman who was reputedly as African slave trader and who later married as Indian princess.
Leter residents were a Mr Papayanni ( a shipowner ), Mr Spence ( who allowed the local Methodists to hold their first meetings in his garden ), Mr Austin ( who apparently had 20 children ), Reverend Wilson ( Chaplain to Lord Derby ) and Mr Walker ( a wholesale grocer ).
The house then became a Catholic Girls School and is now St. Vincents Hospice.

Martin

[hmtmaj]

and a pic from the book. Mart

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5862/mayplacepk8.th.jpg (http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mayplacepk8.jpg)http://img88.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

[anonymouse]

Hi Chris,

Sorry, I omitted the credit on the map which is dated 1893. You can access it HERE (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55207&sheetid=10192&ox=1887&oy=2678&zm=1&czm=1&x=215&y=234) -in the guff it says that content can be used for non-commercial use but I don't know how you stand otherwise.

Hope this helps in some small way.

Tom

[JMLE]

And this is it as of yesterday -

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j248/itsmma/IMG_0399.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j248/itsmma/IMG_0407.jpg

[ChrisGeorge]

You're welcome Chris. If you would like a present day picture of May Place let me know and I'll drive down to take one.

Hi JMLE et al

Wow! Many thanks, Martin, Tom, JMLE, and marky!!! JMLE, I was thinking of asking someone to take some present-day pics but thought it might be an imposition. If each of you care to email me at my yahoo email address (editorctrip@yahoo.com) I would be pleased to send you the final article when it is published within the next few days, or even the full November issue if you like. The issue is a big pdf. The article will be a much smaller pdf of some four pages in our format. :PDT_Aliboronz_24: Martin I would like to get your full name to thank you at the end of the article if you would care to send it to me... that also applies to Tom, marky, and JMLE.

All the best

Chris

[Ged]

This aerial view should give you some idea of its layout and expanse too.


aboutmyplace : UK maps and in-depth, local information for your area (http://www.aboutmyplace.co.uk/showmap?id=4624732&type=street&searchId=427925466940603268)



ps. Click on birdseye and you'll need to do a few clicks up and to the left then you can use the compass point arrows to the left to get different views. Sorry that the above link doesn't open up on the actual building itself but you'll find it easy enough.

.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Chris,

Sorry, I omitted the credit on the map which is dated 1893. You can access it HERE (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55207&sheetid=10192&ox=1887&oy=2678&zm=1&czm=1&x=215&y=234) -in the guff it says that content can be used for non-commercial use but I don't know how you stand otherwise.

Hope this helps in some small way.

Tom

Hi Tom

Ripperologist is arguably non-profit as it is published by enthusiasts who happen to be authors and artists with experience in the publishing industry as editors and/or tech people. The cost is just ?12.00 for six monthly jam-packed issues (lately up to 100 pages), so arguably we publish at or below cost, considering the expertise that put into producing the magazine. Other information on us [url=http://www.jtrforums.com/showpost.php?p=18875&postcount=3[here[/url] if you care to subscribe.

All the best

Chris