Genealogy Chat

I've just found out that my Grandfather and his brother attended there from c1910-c1918. I've found lots of info about the place online, but was wondering if anyone knows where I can find a name search for it? Thanks.

Only by finding any records that exist for it,,try the nearest Record Office or Archive,, Kay,

Muller Orphanage is Ashley Downs Bristol It was apparantly established by a German Who after the 1914/18 war was appaled at the ammount of orphans in Great Britian due to virtually a whole generation being wiped out.Iwas an inmate from 1934 untill 1938 and I knew it as Dr Mullers in German two little dots above the U makes it pronounced Miller

Julie If you google the name you will find their web address. They hold records for all children who have been there. There is a lot of interesting information on the place. They have a museum and the buildings are still standing, infact you can't miss them ! ( It's where a lot of Casualty is filmed ). The records they may hold for your ancestor came at a price I'm afraid ( £20 & £30 ) they will however confirm that someone was there and when. I would email them with names and an idea of dates. If you can't find any contact details let me know and I look for them in my papaerwork for you ! Esta

Thank you Kay, William and Esta. I've got the address, so now I'm sending my parents off to go and visit! (I'm currently living in the States). I was just hoping to find out something online as I'm too impatient!! I'll email them first and see what they can do. I think you'll find that they orphanages were started long before 1918, George. I found the 1851 census online for the Ashley Down orphanages while Googling! My Grandad and his brother lost their parents in 1907 and 1910 of TB, and were placed in the orphanages at the ages of 5 and 6 1/2. As far as orphanages go they sounded like lovely places. Thanks

My gr.grandfathers 2 sisters were there from around 1875/90 I wrote to them and obtained all their records for £20. This was 4 years ago. For that I got marriage and birth certificate copies and letters written between the parish relief and Mullers with a lot of family background. When we went to Wales on holiday we had a trip there. We made an appointment and got to view the original papers. They have a small museum there about the orphan houses. We also went to see the houses a little distance away. One of them is used for filming the entrance for casualty ambulance bay.

Thanks Diane (sorry 'bout the delay!) Did they have info on who placed the children in the orphanage, after all, it couldn't have been the parents could it?! Who's marriage certs did you get? I assume the children would have long since left when they married. I have one photo of my Grand Uncle taken as a school class group, which is how I tracked the place down. It had Ashley Down, Bristol printed on the back. I'm hoping to find them on more photos there!!

I got the the childrens birth certs and the parents marriage. In my case my gt,grandfather was denied access as the certs showed he was born less than 9 months after the marriage, therefore not eligible. He ended up in the workhouse at 5. It would appear that when there father died he had only re married 3 months before. The stepmother who was about 7 years older than her husband obviously didn't want the three children and I believe the mother died a year or so previously, she already had a child from her first marriage that her parents were looking after. The family of my gt.gt.grandfather didn't sound very nice. One of the letters says (as one of the girls was due to leave the Mullers) that they should not go back to their hometown under any circumstances as it would be a bad thing. One did and within a short time had an illegitimate baby in the workhouse! So in my case it would seem that because they were orphaned and the stepmother couldn't cope (she did get parish relief) it seemed the best thing was for them to go to the orphanage.

Dear Julia I live near the Muller orphanage site. It is now part of city of Bristol college. I actually met my husband there while we were both sent from work to study physics. It is a substantial brick building on top of the hill - try googling for city of Bristol collge Brunnel campus and you might get a picture. They mainly use it for enginnering courses. Muller was a german. He had a great faith in god and largely relied on charitable donations to fund the orphanage. Older residents of Fishponds could remember seeing crocodiles of orphans going out for walks. I think it had a good repuutation for being a caring place. best wishes Anne

As a bit of further information you may find of interest, If you follow Ashley Hill right to the top, then turn right down Ralph road, at the bottom you will find Muller Road, which was named after George Muller.

Hi Diane, that's very interesting as I know from my grandad's birth cert that he was born 3 months after his parents wedding! That was the first 'scandal' I found in our tree!! Maybe times had changed by the time he was admitted! I am interested in finding out why they ended up there. They lived in London, and had several aunts and uncles in London, as well as family in Bath who apparently arranged for them to go into the orphanage. I hope to find out why they didn't go to relatives. There seems to be one uncle they remained particulary close to, (well, the only one I've ever heard mentioned of!) but he was unmarried at the time, which is why I suppose he didn't take the 2 boys in. I know he saved some early photos taken of them and gave them to my grandad later. I'm really excited about finding out more! Thanks for your help. Julia

Hi Anne and Carol, I've found a lot by googling which is fantastic, especially some photos taken from the 1900s-1920s! I was surprised at how much there is online about the place! It does sound like a lovely caring place from what I've read. They were really lucky to go there. I always felt sad about these 2 little boys having lost their father at the ages of 2 and 3 1/2, then losing their mother 3 years later too, and then leaving everything they know in London to go to an orphanage in Bristol! I had a very dreary mental picture of the place, so it really is a comfort to know that as orphanages go this was a lovely one. My dad says he never heard anything said against the place from either his father or uncle. I was particularly impressed that instead of just kicking the kids out when they got too old, the orphanage secured them a job first, and sent them off with clothes etc. thank you so much for your help and insights, Julia

Hi Julia After posting to you I did a bit of web surfing as well. It seems that George Muller was criticised locally for educating the children and encouraging them to rise above their station. Thus depriving the local factories of child fodder. I think they tried to keep boys until 14 and girls until 17. They still hold reunions for Muller children at Ashley Down college. Did you find the video on the City of Bristol college site. There has been some rebuilding but it gives you an idea of the area. I am a nurse and remember meeting an old lady whose sisters had been taken there after they had been evacuated from London during the war and social services were unable to contact her family at the end of the war. very sad. Incidently locally he is always referred to as Muller rather than Miller. My great grandmother was orphaned as a child. She was taken in by an uncle but it is very sad seeing names on the census and knowing they will die too young. Hard times in those days. My imformation said that the orphanage was set up to cope with the number of orphans left by the Bristol cholera outbreak. best wishes Anne.

Hi Anne, Thanks for your post. I must search out that video, it sounds good. That was interesting about the locals not liking him for depriving the area of Factory fodder! I guess that must have been in the early days. I'm guessing it must have been pretty widely known about in 1910 as my grandad had extended family in Bath who, I believe, arranged for them to go there. Their immediate family were all in London at the time, but I don't suppose they had heard of it there. I wonder why they got the Bath branch to sort the kids out, instead of chosing a London Home?! Hopefully the museum will provide some of the answers! Julia