St George's House,
        Northern Police Orphanage. 1898-1956  Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

The Elliott family.

Thomas William Elliott and his wife Mildred nee Hawkins had four children. One child died in infancy from influenza. The surviving three children were:
Pearl Elliott born 22.11.1927        (No. 522)
June Elliott born  21.6.1929          (No. 523)
Mildred Elliott born 7.4.1931         (No. 524)

These three girls entered St. George’s, Harrogate 4.9.1939.

        
   Thomas & Mildred Elliott       Pearl Elliott                         June McManus nee Elliott            Pearl Elliott
   with Pearl, June & Mildred                                            (third from left)   

Their father served with the Chester le Street Division of the County Durham Police Force and from 21.12.1929 was stationed at Ravensworth Colliery County Durham. He retired from the Police Force 10.7.1939 due to ill health (arthritis) and died 22.8.1939 at the age of 35.  His wife, Mildred, died in April 1945.

Pearl Elliott left St. George’s in May 1942 and was placed at All Saints Nursery College, Pannal, Harrogate where she trained to be a Nursery Nurse.She later took up a position as an assistant children’s nurse in Green Hammerton, near York.  From there she rose through the nursing ranks and it is believed that she held a senior position in the North of England for many years. After her retirement she lived in Ripon and died there 17.3.2009. She never married.

June Elliott left St. George’s in July 1943 and she too was placed at All Saints Nursery College, Pannal where she trained to be a Nursery Nurse. She then returned to St. George’s to work as a Nursery Nurse until she was 19 or 20 years old, when she left to join the RAF Police Force. She later married and became Mrs. McManus and she and her husband had two girls. Her daughter, Nichola Goodman nee McManus, lives in Chippenham Wiltshire.   Nichola’s daughter, Naomi, is a Metropolitan Police Officer based in Hackney London. June is now 80 and lives in Bristol. Both she and Nichola hope to attend our 2010 Reunion in Harrogate.
                            
                                    Mildred Elliott (523)

                                     
                             Mildred Elliott                   Pearl & Mildred Elliott

Mildred Elliott became very ill when in her teens and spent her time in the Sick Wing at St. George’s, where she was cared for by Sister Batty and Dr. Yeoman. She received various treatments for an arthritic disease at the Royal Baths Hospital in Harrogate, as well as two major hip operations. After Miss Knocker retired from St. George’s in 1949, Sister Batty also retired and lived at 18 Skipton Street, Harrogate. When Mildred left the hospital after her second hip operation, she went to live with Sister Batty. Her two sisters visited her there, as well as other old St. George’s Girls.  It is thought that the St George’s Fund financed the purchase of a motorized carriage for Mildred’s use, which gave her greater mobility and independence. Sister Batty was getting older and was a little arthritic herself and probably found that pushing Mildred in a wheelchair was a little too much for her. The Elliott girls and Sister Batty were very close to each other. Sadly Mildred died in Harrogate at the age of 31. BMD Ref: Claro (Harrogate) June Quarter 1962 Volume 2c Page 129.
 

The Taylor Family                                                                                                                                                                              

 Hilda Archer, formerly Taylor nee Neilson, with her family.

 Pamela Hilda Taylor, Reginald James Taylor, 559 (standing)
 and Peter Grenville Taylor, 560.   

 Photo taken in Wellington, New Zealand, circa 1985.
 

'Policewomen' for a night.

Vera Neilson (later to become Vera Taylor, wife of old boy Peter Taylor 560) and her friend Audrey Styles, both of whom used to work as hairdressers in Muriel Smith's Salon, Albion St, Leeds, Yorkshire.

When asked by a Leeds Police Officer if they would sell raffle tickets at a Police Ball held in 1958 they readily agreed and even dressed for the occasion as 'pseudo' police women !

We have it on good authority that a good time was had by all who attended and that a lot of raffle tickets were sold during the evening, the proceeds going to the Police Benevolent Fund.

Vera Taylor nee Neilson and Audrey Styles. Photo taken: 1958
 

Frederick and Clare Robinson.
We have been contacted by Janet C. Bolton, daughter of Fred & Clare Robinson. She told us that her father was the one that was given the responsibility of organising the final closure and sale of St George's Police Orphanage and subsequent formation of the
Northern Police Orphans Trust. Following is a brief summary of his background story.


                  
             Frederick & Clare Robinson                                     Frederick & Clare Robinson in front of St Andrew's

Frederick Robinson was born in Hull in 1902 - he was a theological student and for two years was Minister at South Cave Congregational Church near Hull. He was never ordained and decided to leave the ministry and join Halifax Borough Police Force. Inspector Robinson ( a rank which would be the equivalent of Chief Inspector today) joined the Force in 1925 and after a years service was transferred to the Charge Office. He became a Sergeant in 1933 and again was transferred, this time to the Chief Constable's office, becoming Chief Clerk and Inspector in 1944.
He has been Chairman for some years of the Force's Joint Branch Board and also Chairman of the Force's Canteen Committee,
in addition he was associated with the Ryburn Lodge of Freemasons.
Inspector Robinson holds the Defence Medal, Police Long Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Coronation Medal and was later awarded the M.B.E. by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Around 1955 after 30 years service in the Police Force, Frederick Robinson was given the responsibility of arranging the closing down and sale of the St George's House Orphanage in Otley Road, the relocation to Hereford Road and final closure a year or so later. The assets derived from the sale were formed into the Northern Police Orphans Trust.  Frederick Robinson administered this trust along with the St George's Fund, in the roles of Secretary and Executive Officer.
Mr F. Robinson was then appointed to the position of Superintendent of St Andrew's Northern Police Convalescent Home, a position he held for a period of more than eight years and during that time was ably assisted by his wife Clare. It was throughout his tenure that the Convalescent Home was extensively re-modelled and refurnished.
Fred & Clare Robinson decided on retirement that they would remain in Harrogate " We would not like to live anywhere else but Harrogate, it has everything we need and all the things we enjoy' said Mr Robinson.
Frederick Robinson was born 9th November, 1901 and after a distinguished career, died 4th February, 1972.

The Owen sisters. (272,269 & 270) 
     
 

 This photo c1970, was taken on the beach at South Shields and shows
 the late:  Edith Suggett nee Owen (272), Bertha Oley nee Owen (269)
 Irene Howe nee Owen (270).

 The father of the three girls was Police Constable Henry Owen who served
 with the South Shields Police Force. The three sisters entered St George's   
 in 1918 and it is thought, left when they reached the age of 14.

 Bertha was born in 1908, Irene in 1911 and Edith in 1915.

 Also shown in the photo is Ian Woolard son of Edith Suggett's daughter  
 Yvonne Woolard.

 Photo and information kindly provided by Gillian Anderson and Ian Woolard.  
 Gillian is the daughter of Irene Howe, nee Owen.
 

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The Hinson Family
Charlotte Smith nee Hinson (20)
Charlotte was born on 12th February, 1889. Her father was James Hinson who served in the Newcastle upon Tyne Force.
His name appears on the Police Roll of Honour (Northumbria), stating: Police Constable James Hinson died 22nd August, 1898, aged 41. Injured stopping a runaway bull and later collapsed and died on duty.
Charlotte Hinson entered St.George's in 1898 and left in 1903 to go into service as a nursemaid with a family in London.
There she met her employer's cousin, John William Smith, who was a Licenced Victualler. They married in 1910 and their first
child, Charlotte Ellen, was born in 1911. Around September 1913, with three children all under the age of three, Charlotte Smith and her husband travelled by steamer to her roots in Tyneside and settled there, where four more children were born.
Charlotte often spoke to her grandchildren of the time she spent in St George's and talked also of the Lady Superintendent
Miss Emma Chapman, a lady she had a great deal of affection and respect for.


   
Charlotte Smith with her husband John and two of their daughters            Charlotte & John Smith, taken on 3rd June, 1960,
Irene May and Audrey c 1937                                                             celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary

Photographs and information provided by Julia Mann, granddaughter of Charlotte Hinson.

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The Harland Family
Mary Alice Harland nee Levitt.

Mary Alice Harland was the wife of P.C.182 Thomas Harland, who died in 1931.
They had five children, Elsie 417, Raymond 418, Marjorie 419, Bernard 449 and Godfrey 480,
all of whom were cared for by St George's House, Northern Police Orphanage, see photos below.

See also Police Connections and List of Children pages of this website for further details.

Photos of Mary Alice Harland and family were kindly provided by her granddaughter,
Michelle Winspear,

Mary Alice Harland nee Levitt
photo dated October 1941.

The five children of Thomas & Mary Harland.

                       
Elsie, 417            Raymond, 418     Marjorie, 419       Bernard, 449          Godfrey, 480 

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The Seddon Family
Thomas A. Seddon (588)
Karen Carrington nee Seddon (daughter of Tom and Brenda Seddon)  after visiting our website, got in touch with us to say that
she has found a couple of photographs of Tom which she has kindly supplied to us for use in this article.
Tom Seddon, born in Bolton in 1934, entered St George's September 1946 at the age of 12, after his father, who served in the Mounted Section of Bolton Borough Police Force, died at the age of 55. Tom attended Harrogate Grammar School and was still at St George's under Miss Duke Turner when the orphanage moved to Albany Lodge, Hereford Rd, Harrogate.
Some of you will remember that Tom took part in the Banner of St George concert and play in April 1948, held to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of St George's.
Upon leaving the orphanage he did his National Service with the Army Catering Corps and later operated guest houses in Morecambe and Blackpool, where he died in December 2006.
Tom and Brenda (deceased) had two children Karen and David (deceased). Later, Tom married Margaret and they produced a
daughter, Sarah. Following are the two photos. (inserted 13/8/2008)

                                    
                           Brenda & Tom Seddon 1960                    Sarah & Tom Seddon 2005

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The Geraghty Family

'Geraghty' family reunion 2008 (inserted 7/3/2008)
The 'Geraghty' Family have enjoyed a family reunion in Australia to celebrate the 70th birthday of twins, Pat Mason nee Geraghty and Mary Spence nee Geraghty. 

      
Brother and sisters, Jacqueline, Mary, Peter & Pat                       The family group.
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The Corby Family.

When George Corby, who was a Police Officer serving in the Sheffield Police Force died, his son Willis Corby (Snr) was admitted in 1913 to St George's, aged 9, child number 208.  We have been fortunate to have been provided with some old family photographs below by David Sargent, grandson of Ada Corby.

The first photograph is of Willis Corby Snr who was born in 1904 in Sheffield. He worked in the Scunthorpe area in the building trade and later moved to Loughborough, Leicestershire he died there aged 88, Feb 1992.

The second photograph c 1960 is of Ada Corby, mother of David Sargent's late mother, Vera Sargent.

The third photograph is of son, Willis Corby Jnr, who was born 1 July 1927 in Thome, Doncaster, Yorkshire. He joined the Fire Service and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief Fire Officer in Winterton, Lincolnshire and died 12 Jan 2005, in Nottingham.
 

                          
                Willis Corby Snr (208)                       Ada Corby c 1960                            Willis Corby Jnr

                     
                 Ada & Willis Corby Snr (208)                       Willis Corby Jnr with his nephew David Sargent

                                        
                                    Two photographs of Willis Corby Jnr     Photo taken: Lake Coniston mid 1960's

The Madew Family

Ralph & Ethel Madew

The following photographs have been provided by Kathleen Ince, nee Madew, for inclusion on the website.
See also Police Connections page for further information about the Madew family.

             
    Ralph Madew as a young man.              Wedding of Ralph & Ethel Madew 1916       Ethel Madew, Conway Castle, 1946

Lawrence & Cyril Madew with friends
Mary Barlow, Olga & Enid.
Date of photo unknown.

 The Helyer Family.

Members of the Helyer family have recently discovered our website and have been keen to find some of the background details relevant to Albert Helyer 377, Vincent Helyer 378 (both of whom entered St George's House in 1928) and Edwin Helyer 405, who entered the Orphanage in 1930. Their elder brother Jack was deemed to be too old for admission at that time.
We have been supplied with the following photographs for inclusion in the website.

   
Marie & Albert Helyer with Edward Walton &                  Vincent Helyer with Dorothy      Jacqui & Andrew Helyer (son of Vincent).
Kath Webster, photo taken at the 1976 reunion.            Helyer (Edwin Helyer's
                                                                            widow) Photo dated 1976
 

                                                                                    
                                                                                                  
                                                                                                   Deus vult