Some years ago research was carried out about these homes that were built by Gateshead Corporation to house 3 to 16 year old children. These were orphans or whose parents were sick or destitute. This article acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the late Jim Clarke, of Blackhill, resulting in an exhibition and a war memorial plaque to ‘The Homers’, now in Medomsley Parish Church. The contents of the exhibition, held in the foyer of the Consett Library at the time, have been kindly donated to the C&DHI to be reproduced in this article.
Most people will recognise the site described as the Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre [formerly known as the Medomsley Detention Centre or Hassockfield Secure Training Centre]. But few realise the purpose for which it was originally built in 1901. In 1930 Durham County Council took over the running of the homes until 1959 after which the site was used by the Home Office.
The homes were designed by W Lister Newcombe and built between 1896 and 1901 to accommodate 184 in six semidetached cottages. Three were for boys and three for girls, with workshops for training and other facilities on site. The maps show Gateshead Union Cottage Homes, Shotley Bridge (NZ 110 536) in 1923 and the various uses within the complex.
Some of the children who lived at Medomsley Cottage Homes
Jim’s main ambition was to ensure that those children from the Cottage Homes who served in the First World War were given a fitting memorial.
Charles Harrison was a resident of the cottage homes from approximately 1916 to 1924. His memories of the home, which he recounted near the end of his life in 1997, have been taken from a website containing more information about the Shotley Bridge Cottage Homes.
More general information about Cottage Home Villages can be found in an article about Cottage Home Villages by Kathryn Morrison
Excellent work!
Jim Clarke had very fond memories of the home he always said times were so hard for families in the 30,s that the children in the cottage homes were better clothed & far better fed. They even had a swimming pool that all the boys at the local school used to want to be the ” homers” friends so that they’d be asked back to use it! He also said all the boys & girls were taught a trade. Many thanks to Jim’s family for donating his research & hats off to Jim for ensuring all those boys who left to go to WWI & II are remembered.
Hi
My mum was a resident in the cottage home until she was taken out by ( two people who I thought were my grandparents until mum told me the truth when I was about 15 ) to say they were not nice to her is an understatement. They took my mum for money as you were paid to take a child ( no love involved) My mum was called Nellie Hartley and had brothers and sisters who were with her in the home, When she was taken away she lost contact with all of them, Very sad for mum as she often spoke about her brothers and sisters wondering what happened to them. Mum passed away about two years ago and never found out about her birth family.
My Grandmother was sent to Shotley Bridge/Medomsley Cottage Home in 1903 and was processed by the Gateshead Union Board of Guardians to be sent to Barnardo Cottage Homes in Ilford, Essex and then to Canada. She was 9 years old. She never returned to England and never knew what became of her father. Her mother died in1900. She was one of over 100,000 British Home Children sent to Canada. They were sent as indentured domestic and farm laborers. The scheme lasted for almost 80 years. Children were also sent to Australia, New Zealand and Rhodesia. While my grandmother was never rich, she worked hard and raised a family of 10 children who loved and cherished each other. She died when I was young but I remember her as a kind, generous and happy person.
I am Barry Moss and I was in the cottage homes from 1946 to 1953. I was in Elm last few years so was my brother Ronnie. My older sister Jeanette was also there. She went to work at Red Marshall Farm. I don’t think anyone alive would remember us but post if you do. We were always treated fairly not like the detention centre youths that followed us, poor things.